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LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
PRINCETON, N. J. 


PRESENTED BY 


is te ema tae University Library. 


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THE NEWER 
DISPENSATION 


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Py 
CASPER BUTLER 


KOKOMO, INDIANA 
THE NEWER DISPENSATION PUBLISHING CO. 
PUBLISHERS 


Copyright, 1926 
By CASPER BUTLER 





All rights reserved 


Notr.—All Scriptural references and quotations appearing in this 
work were taken from the American Revised Version of the Bible. 


PRESS OF 
BRAUNWORTH & CO., INC, 
BOOK MANUFACTURERS 
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 


PREFACE 


PROBABLY not since the Reformation has 
been manifested such general interest in reli- 
gion as exists at the present time. It has been 
growling gradually for several years. It is the 
subject of an infinite number of conversations ; 
and there seldom is a secular gathering even, 
that does not have some aspect of the subject 
injected into its program. ‘There is scarcely 
a periodical devoted to the more serious ac- 
tivities of life that does not carry one or more 
articles on some phase of religion in almost 
every issue. 

Nor is interest in religion confined alone to 
Christianity either in America or Europe. In- 
dications of quickened religious interest and 
symptoms of religious unrest are to be noted 
in widely separated areas among other sys- 
tems. ‘The Moslem world probably affords 
an example of the most unsettled religious 
equilibrium of any; and from the Far Hast, 
especially from Japan, come murmurings of 
dissension in Buddhism. 


lil 


iv PREFACE 


Since the World War, interest in religion 
has received an added impetus. As a result 
of the War it has been subjected to a closer 
scrutiny and analysis than for several cen- 
turies. There appears to be a pronounced 
demand for change. Daily one hears or sees 
allusions to the ‘‘new religion.’’ Throngs of 
people are asking themselves the questions: 
‘‘Does my religion adequately express my 
highest religious conceptions and loftiest as- 
pirations? Is not the religion to which I have 
subscribed, somewhat lacking in vitality ?”’ 

The religion of a large number of persons 
appears to be undergoing a transition that 
transcends the bounds prescribed by the sys- 
tem to which they have hitherto given alle- 
giance. However, while conscious of a chang- 
ing religious atmosphere without, as well as 
a transformation within themselves, they yet 
are reluctant to sever the connections which 
have bound them to their former beliefs. They 
are in a mental haze regarding their religious 
bearings. Their ideas are unsettled—unclassi- 
fied, therefore in an unsatisfactory state. 

The numerous contributions on religion de- 
signed to clarify the subject in the minds of 
those who are disturbed and who are conscien- 
tiously seeking more light, generally have 
been: either too technical to be popular with 


PREFACE v 


the average reader, or too biased by partiality 
to conservatism or prejudiced by liberalism, 
to be of much real assistance to intelligent 
and fair-minded persons; or they have com- 
promised with both groups, sacrificing clarity 
and truth for the sake of maintaining the 
good-will of both classes. 

So far as the writer’s knowledge extends, 
no other contributor has approached the sub- 
ject of religion from quite the point of view 
that is set forth in this treatise. While many 
have discoursed on points of difference be- 
tween the new and the old, no one thus far 
has attempted to define approximate lines of 
demarcation between them, or differentiate 
them into separate cycles or epochs. 





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CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 
PAGE 
CHAPTER I 
Progressed Generally ‘ : ; Me : : ogee fee 
CHAPTER II 
Religion Defined : . : ‘ : 5 ; : : aulce 
Part I 


THE OLD DISPENSATION 


CHAPTER III 


Brief Survey Early Hebrew Race, Semi-Primitive, Nomads, 
Government Patriarchal, Monotheistic Conception Unique, 
Anthropomorphic, Employ Pagan Rites in Worship of 
Jehovah, Use Arts of Divination, Means and Methods of 
Communicating with Jehovah . : sseaee 


' CHAPTER IV 


Recitation on Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Periods 
Hebrew History, Prophetism, Amos First Contributor to 
Religious Progress Since Abraham, Productions of Amos 


Examined . ‘ ; : : : : - : j OL 
CHAPTER V 
Hosea, Second Contributor to Religious Progress Since Abra- 
ham, Jehovah Endowed with New Quality. . .  . 65 
CHAPTER VI 


Recitation Completing Sixth Historical Period, Jeremiah and 
Habakkuk Contemporaneous, Contributions of Jeremiah 
and Habakkuk Analyzed ; AS YC ee 5 et 


Vii 


vill CONTENTS 


CHAPTER VIL PAGE 


Brief Review of Seventh Historical Period—the Exile, Jews 
Freed by Cyrus the Great, Last Contributor to Religious 
Progress of Israelitish Nation—‘‘Second Isaiah,’’ Con- 
ception of Jehovah Enlarged, Fifty Thousand Led Back 
by Zerubbabel, Rebuilding Temple, Rebuilding Wall 
Under Nehemiah, Difficulties Encountered—Summary— 
Part. : : ; : : : ; é ; i eh) 


Part II 


THE NEW DISPENSATION 


CHAPTER VIII 
History of Jews Between the Testaments, Brief Period Jewish 
Independence, Colony of Rome . ‘ ; : : es 
CHAPTER Ix 
New Light on Biographies of Jesus and John the Baptist . 103 


CHAPTER X 


Doctrine of Tri-Une Deistic Conception Examined . . gi At 


CHAPTER XI 
Tri-Une Deistic Doctrines, Atonement Adapted from Old 
Hebrew Rite, Incarnation Borrowed from Brahmanism, 
Buddhism and Zoroastrianism A ‘ ; F ’ e115 
CHAPTER XII 
Doctrine of Holy Ghost (Spirit) aie ake Found in The- 
osophy. Function Explained . ; te ee 
CHAPTER XIII 
Doctrine of Resurrection Obtained from Mere Pepe e 
Doctrine Reviewed . : 132 
CHAPTER XIV 


New Moral and Ethical Codes of ‘‘Kingdom of Heaven,’’ 
Brotherhood of Man, Golden Rule, the New Command- 
ment e e e e e e e © e e ° e 141 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER XV PAGE 


Jesus’ Age the Redemptive Age, Precedents for that Belief, 
Common to Zoroastrianism, Old Story of Struggle Be- 
tween Good and Bad, God and Satan in World, The Prize 


CHAPTER XVI 


Summary of Doctrines and Teachings of ‘‘ Kingdom of 
Heaven,’’ Points of Superiority of New Over Old Dis- 
pensation, Points of Inferiority, Degradation of Mono- 
theistic Conception, Tri-Une Conception a Reversion, 
Signs of Decay in Christianity 


Parr III 
THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


‘CHAPTER XVII 


Newer Dispensation Predicated on Progress, or Change, Out- 
growth of Great Events and Movements, Dissolution 
Western and Eastern Roman Empires, Rise of British 
Empire, Founding of Russian Empire, Discovery of West- 
ern Hemisphere, Development of the Americas, Changing 
Form of Government, Doctrine of Divine Right of Kings, 
Republics the Fruits of War . : d : 


CHAPTER XVIII 


Founding and Rise of Mohammedan System of Religion, Both 
a Religious System and Social Order, Patterned After 
Both Judaism and Christianity, Champion of Monotheism, 
Aggressive Like Christianity, Doctrines Common to Both, 
Third Largest Religious System Ate at i 


CHAPTER XIX 


The Crusades: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and 
Seventh, Beneficial Results 


CHAPTER XX 


The Reformation: An Aspect of Renaissance, Reformation in 
Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, England, 
Scotland, Bohemia, Fruits of Reformation . : ; 


CHAPTER XXI 


° 


Growth of Knowledge, Vast Increase in Facilities for Dis- 
semination of Information, Rapid Progress Made in 


LOL 


ea to! 


meLey 


. 203 


a CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Modern Science: In Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, 
Biology also Philosophy, Evolution the Mode, Evolution 
Explained, Concord of the Sciences ’ 


CHAPTER XXII 


. 224 


Summary of Chapters XVII, XVIIT, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII 248 


CHAPTER XXIII 


Newer Dispensation Defined, Deistie Conception, Impossible 
to Define the Infinite, Knowledge Relative, Newer Dis- 
pensation Distinguished Both for what it Discards and 
Perpetuates, Sacred Writings Not Closed Book, Creation 
Still Taking Place, No Provision for Supernatural, or 
Religious Hero Worship, Creeds and Ordinances, Present 
Life an Opportunity Instead of One of Probation, Chief 
End of Man is Service, Education, the Chief Agency in 
the Establishment of the Newer Order, the Emancipation 
of Man : ; : ; ; : 


. 256 


GEDA PI Ria 
INTRODUCTION 


SAMUEL FINLEY BREESE Morse on the night 
of March third, 1843, retired disheartened and 
discouraged. For days he had been impor- 
tuning Congress to make him a grant of thirty 
thousand dollars with which to construct a 
line from Washington to Baltimore to demon- 
strate the practicability of his new invention, 
the electric telegraph. Because of the skep- 
ticism of many and the ridicule of others, he 
had given up hope of his request being 
eranted. But to his great surprise the next 
morning he learned that Congress at its night 
session had passed the act authorizing the ap- 
propriation. There are many persons to-day 
who can remember when that incident hap- 
pened. The development of the electric tele- 
eraph and the effects of that invention on the 
economic and commercial interests of the 
world are hard to estimate. 

Only thirty-two years later Alexander 
Graham Bell invented the electric telephone. 
For some time he had been experimenting on 


2 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


anappliance for the transmission of the human 
voice over long distances. But the solution 
of that problem came to him quite by accident 
while experimenting on a device calculated to 
improve the telegraph. In tuning the har- 
monic receiver it was Professor Bell’s habit to 
press the reed closely to his ear. While doing 
that he was startled to hear the twang of the 
vibration of a steel spring. Going quickly to 
the sending instruments in an adjoining room, 
he found that his assistant, Mr. Thomas Wat- 
son, had snapped one of the springs 1n order 
to free it and put it into vibration again. It 
was the vibration of this spring that Professor 
Bell had heard. The snapped spring having 
generated an alternating current in the coils 
of the sending instrument which, traversing 
the line and passing through the coils of the 
receiving instrument, had caused the tuned 
reed to reproduce the sound made by the reed 
at the sending end. ‘Thus was the speaking 
telephone born. Professor Bell exhibited his 
invention at the Centennial Exposition held 
in Philadelphia the following year. As a re- 
sult of his demonstrations of it before the 
judges of the exposition and a large number 
of people, its fame spread rapidly. However, 
it is probable that few people at that time 
imagined that it ever would become almost an 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 3 


indispensable business and household appli- 
ance. | 

Great as the inventions of the electric tele- 
graph and telephone are, they have about seen 
their day. ‘Twenty-five years ago if anyone 
had predicted that Captain Donald F. MacMil- 
lan could sit in his flagship the ‘‘ Bowdoin”’ 
in tah, Greenland, and report by radio to the 
National Geographic Society in Washington, 
D. C., over thirty-seven hundred miles away, 
the safe arrival of its arctic expedition, he 
would have been considered visionary. For a 
group of Eskimo guests of that expedition, 
to listen by radio to a program given by a dif- 
ferent race in Chicago, sounds like a miracle. 
Yet both of those incidents took place. Within 
approximately three quarters of a century, 
this enormous progress in long-distance com- 
munication has come about and the end is not 
yet. 

The marvel of the radio as exemplified by 
Captain MacMillan being able to pick out of | 
the air ordinary tones from such distant points 
as Chicago, London, Paris, New York and 
Berlin, is only approached if not equalled by 
another invention destined to play an impor- 
tant part in that expedition. The allusion is 
to the airplane. Captain MacMillan’s expedi- 
tion being equipped with three airplanes, 


4 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


radiating from a common base, it was planned 
to employ them in further explorations of the 
Arctic Cirele. While, according to the radio 
reports from Captain MacMillan, the unfavor- 
able weather conditions thus far have offered 
insuperable obstacles, no doubt the airplane 
or dirigible later on will accomplish that feat. 
The fate of the ‘‘Shenandoah’’ will only tend 
to greater improvement in air craft construc- 
tion. Without doubt air crafts of various 
types are destined to play a major role in fu- 
ture transportation. It is doubtful if Orville 
and Wilbur Wright, the inventors of the bi- 
plane, fully realized the possibilities, future 
usefulness and practicability of the airplane 
even at the time of their first suecessful long- 
distance flight at Dayton, Ohio, in 1905. Yet 
within ten years from that date, it became one 
of the most important agencies in the greatest 
war the world has ever seen. At the time of 
the airplane’s first successful demonstration 
in 1905, doubtless few people even dreamed 
that within twenty years air routes would be 
established similar to highways on land. Steps 
are being taken to safeguard them, landings 
provided at frequent intervals, connections 
between different lines arranged, and regular 
schedules adopted similar to those existing on 
railroads. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 5 


Whether the railroad ultimately will be en- 
tively superseded by aircraft transportation, 
it is too early to foretell. But even if such 
does not take place, its scope and importance 
will suffer by reason of aircraft transporta- 
tion. Yet less than one hundred years ago, 
there was not a railroad in the United States. 
Many people are alive who’can remember 
when the first line was built. To-day there 
are in the United States more than two hun- 
dred and sixty-five thousand miles—two-fifths 
of all the world. During this period the rail- 
roads themselves have undergone vast changes 
resulting in great improvement. Not only in 
the way of road-bed, station and terminal 
facilities, but in equipment of all kinds. The 
modern locomotive is a most formidable 
power-unit as compared with the first one. 
Equally great progress may be noted between 
the rolling stock of the present day as com- 
pared with that of the first railroads. 

However, railroads are not the only thor- 
oughfares that have originated and been de- 
veloped within the memory of some of this 
generation. Country roads, likewise, have 
undergone tremendous development during 
this time. When the writer was a child, im- 
proved roads—or turn-pikes as they were 
called then—were the exception and the per- 


6 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


son who traveled over them had to pay toll. 
They were owned and operated by private 
associations. ‘To-day all highways of every 
description are owned by the counties, and 
states through which they pass and therefore 
the toll fees have been eliminated. Moreover, 
the majority of the roads in all states are as 
well improved to-day as the best of them were 
forty years ago. ‘To have suggested to our 
grandparents that within a generation there 
would be national metal-surfaced highways 
traversing the United States north, south, east 
and west, would have been thought a foolish 
suggestion. Yet at the present time, there are 
several such thoroughfares under construction. 

Better roads have kept pace with the im- 
provement in vehicles. The transition from 
the ox-cart and jolt wagon, to the spring car- 
riage and buggy, and from those to the auto- 
mobile, have necessitated better roadways. 
The country highways are destined to undergo, ~ 
within the next few years, vastly greater im- 
provement. Short hauls formerly handled by 
the railroads exclusively, are being shifted to 
paved highways by truck transportation. The 
universal use of the automobile will make 
further improvement imperative. ‘The com- 
paratively short time in which the transporta- 
tion and vehicular progress has taken place, 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 7 


is a remarkable example of the speed with 
which the economic development of the coun- 
try 1s moving. 

In the economic growth progress has not 
been confined to those things thus far men- 
tioned. It extends to agriculture—in fact to 
practically any sphere one might mention. 
Considering agriculture: when Henry Ogle in 
1826 invented the first reaper that actually 
accomplished the task, a great benefit was 
conferred upon the farmers of the world. 
Hitherto the cutting of grain had been done 
by hand, using a sickle or cradle. From Ogle’s 
machine, developed in rapid succession the 
self-rake reaper in 1855, the wire-binder in 
1870 and the twine-binder five years later. 
The twine-binder still continues to hold the 
stage, but it has been greatly improved since 
it was first invented. The writer well remem- 
bers the first wire-binder that was put in 
operation in his native county in Indiana. It 
required eight horses to draw it. People came 
from several miles distant to see it in opera- 
tion. A distinct remembrance is that of a large 
number of laborers sitting on the rail fence 
that surrounded the field, deploring the inven- 
tion of it and predicting starvation for them- 
selves and families, because of the much 
smaller number of laborers that would there- 


8 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


after be needed to harvest the grain. Instead 
of it having the effect they predicted, quite 
the opposite obtained. More persons were re- 
quired in building binders, manufacturing 
twine for its use, and more railroad employees 
and equipment to transport them, than the 
harvest laborers it displaced. 

Kkeeping pace with the progress made in 
reapers, was that made in plows, cultivators, 
threshers, planters and other agricultural 
labor-saving devices. Many persons who read 
this will have witnessed the transition from 
the walking-plow and double-shovel one-horse 
cultivator, to the riding-plow and -multiple- 
cultivator drawn by a tractor. Older men, 
whose sons to-day plant corn with a modern 
check-rower planter and sow grains like wheat 
and oats with a drill which applies fertilizer 
at the same time, will recall when they dropped 
the corn by hand and covered it with a hoe 
and sowed other grain broadcast harrowing 
iA abate 

To furnish still further examples of the 
progress that has been made within very re- 
cent times may be mentioned the factory sys- 
tem. Our grandfathers made the shoes for 
the entire family, while our grandmothers 
spun the flax and wool, wove the cloth and 
made the clothing the family wore. The local 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 9 


blacksmith, or wagon maker, turned out every 
part of the vehicle or tool, by hand. With the 
development of the factory system and the in- 
vention of machinery, a much more complex 
division of labor has come about. ‘Tasks 
formerly performed by hand are performed 
much quicker and easier by machines. The 
factory system has resulted in commodities be- 
ing produced in vastly greater quantities. 
Lathes, drill-presses, milling and_ boring 
machines, shears and electric hammers do the 
work that fifty years ago was largely done by 
hand. Huge looms fabricate hundreds of 
vards of cloth in the same length of time re- 
quired by our grandmothers to weave one 
yard. All of those things have conspired to 
reduce the cost and increase the variety, 
thereby rendering more comfortable living 
conditions for society. 

Turning to a somewhat different sphere, 
progress within a short space of time 1s 
equally obvious. Johannes Gutenberg became 
one of the world’s chief benefactors when he 
invented the printing press in 1450. His in- 
vention was a crude affair as compared with 
even an old flat-bed press of a hundred years 
ago that had to be fed by hand, to say nothing 
of the great complex rotary presses with auto- 
matie feed and which print, fold and count as 


10 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


many as a hundred thousand multiple-paged 
newspapers per hour to-day. Or to obtain 
another angle of the progress that has been 
made in the art of printing, compare the 
present-day methods of type-setting with those 
of only a few years ago. When Ottmar 
Mergenthaler in 1885 invented the linotype 
machine, probably the most perfect specimen 
of a series of inventions of that nature by 
many persons, the improvement of the mechan- 
ical process over the hand method is amazing. 

Selecting a field entirely different from any 
of the foregoing where progress has taken 
place within a comparatively short time, at- 
tention is directed to the treatment of disease 
and to surgery. When the English physician, 
Wilham Harvey, discovered the circulation of 
the blood in 1600, he laid the foundation for 
modern Materia Medica. The discovery of 
bacteria and the invention of an antitoxin for 
hydrophobia by the French physician, Dr. 
Louis Pasteur in 1870; and the discovery of 
the bacilla of tuberculosis and of cholera in 
1882 and 1883 respectively by the German 
physician, Dr. Robert Koch, not only show the 
progress made in therapeutics, but how one 
discovery leads to another. 

While Hippocrates and others of the an- 
cients knew something of surgery, their skill 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 11 


and knowledge of that art does not measure 
up to those of the present day. The difficult 
operation of trepanning is known to have been 
performed sometimes by surgeons in ancient 
times and the amputation of limbs and the 
reduction of fractures were quite common. 
But the ancient surgeon’s lack of knowledge 
of physiology and anatomy precluded any ad- 
vanced progress being made by him in that 
art. Prior to the sixteenth century no schools 
existed for the teaching of either medicine or 
surgery. Since then schools of both kinds have 
increased at a rapid rate. The perfecting of 
the anesthetic, which chiefly has come about 
since 1846, and later on the knowledge ac- 
quired regarding antisepsis, have greatly 
aided the progress of both medicine and sur- 
gery. How to procure true aseptic conditions 
has reduced the mortality of surgical opera- 
tions from 66 per cent in 1846 to only 6 per 
cent at the present time. No better proof exists 
of the progress that has been made in those 
fields than that furnished by the experience 
tables of mortality. Mr. Louis A. Hansen in 
a recent article published in Life and Health 
(Washington, D. C.), states that in 1800 the 
average length of life was thirty-three years; 
in 1855 it was forty years; and in 1920 it was 
fifty-eight vears. Highteen years have been 


12 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


added to the average duration of life since 
1855. From 1910 to 1920 the increase in the 
life span was four years. The above figures 
are for the United States. Five or six other 
countries excel the United States in the ex- 
pectancy of life. New Zealand has an expect- 
ancy of sixty years. In 1910 Australia, 
Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Norway were 
from one to six years in advance of the United 
States on life expectancy. In the United 
States in 1911 a death rate of 17 per 1,000 
persons was generally accepted as normal. In 
1923 the rate was reduced to 12.3 for the regis- 
tration area of the country. For 1924 the 
estimated rate was only 11.6 per 1,000. The 
above facts give some idea of the enormous 
progress made in warding off and curing dis- 
ease Within a decade. It is reasonable to ex- 
pect the average span of life to be lengthened 
by the time another ten years roll around. 
Considering still another field somewhat 
different from any of those mentioned in the 
fore part of this chapter, one is able to note 
colossal achievements. Probably no sphere of 
endeavor affords a more convincing proof of 
progress than does that of education. Indeed, 
other realms must credit Education with a 
good portion of the progress made by them. 
Few people realize the stupendous sums that 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 13 


are being spent on education in its various 
forms to-day. The Rockefeller, Russell Sage, 
Carnegie and other foundations form in them- 
selves an enormous sum. but when to these 
are added the millions of lesser bequests, which 
total an incomparably greater amount, the 
ageregate is beyond one’s powers of compre- 
hension. Nor, are these all the sources of 
wealth devoted to education. The sums ex- 
pended by individual states and the United 
States Government, cause the above amounts 
to appear insignificant in comparison. In 
Indiana, which may be taken as typical, forty- 
seven cents out of every dollar of municipal 
tax raised, goes for the public school system 
of the state. But the foregoing are not all the 
sources of educational revenue. The sums 
spent by individuals and by parents for the 
education of their children, when added to all 
the others, represent a total so vast that one 
is entirely unable to grasp its magnitude. 
These facts pertain to the United States alone. 
What other countries are doing along educa- 
tional lines are not taken into consideration 
in this connection. Such resources are having 
the effect of making education universal at 
least so far as the United States is concerned. 
Kdueation in this country has progressed to 
the point that it makes school attendance be- 


14 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


tween certain ages in the juvenile period com- 
pulsory. It has come to an appreciation that 
it is better for the country and for society, 
to raise the educational standards of the 
masses rather than to super-educate a few, 
however desirable that may be. It realizes 
that the greatest obstacle to progress in any 
sphere is ignorance. | 

Never in the history of the world were there 
so many facilities for the dissemination of 
knowledge. Books, periodicals, and newspap- 
ers flow from the press forming a million 
branches terminating in an ocean of litera- 
ture. Add to these the contributions of the 
modern inventions such as the radio, telc- 
graph, telephone, cinema, and the fast moving 
vehicles of transportation, the sources and 
modes of conveying information are seen to be 
stupendous. 

The achievements in all the sciences reflect 
the progress of education. By means of it a 
Burbank is able to create new varieties of 
plants at will; a Steinmetz can produce a bolt 
of hghtning; an Edison invents an incandes- 
cent electric lamp and a kinetoscope; a Curé 
discovers a new element; a Geikie is enabled 
to read the history of the earth in the strata 
of the rocks; and a Sanford and a Frost can 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 15 


measure and compute the size and distance to 
the stars. 

In the foregoing, the facts and incidents 
mentioned in the different spheres of human 
endeavor are such as the reader himself has 
experienced, observed, and can verify. Theaim 
~ has been to take a bird’s-eye view of each field, 
rather than a detailed study of it, in order 
not to tire the reader, and yet show that the 
law of progress is common to every realm of 
activity humanity is heir to. If it is admitted 
that the law of progress is universal in its 
operation in all the spheres the individual him- 
self experiences, and over a period of time no 
greater than the span of a human life, does 
it not seem reasonable and probable that it 
must be operative in respect to those things 
that he beyond and outside of man’s experi- 
ence, and over infinitely longer periods of 
time? If progress is a universal principle 
recognized in connection with the products of 
man’s intellect such as have been pointed out, 
then it must follow that it is equally operative 
in respect to his religious beliefs; because they 
are quite as much a product of his mind as any 
of those other things. 

If it can be shown in subsequent pages that 
religion, like all those other things that have 


16 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


been mentioned in the foregoing pages, likewise 
conforms to the law of progress, it follows as 
a consequence that given a sufficient lapse of 
time, there would come about a development 
in religion sufficiently great to mark a new 
epoch. In other words: there would take place 
a religious development as great as that which 
distinguishes the Christian from the Mosaic 
Dispensation. For example: from Abraham 
to Jesus 1s approximately twenty-five hundred 
years, and from Jesus to the present day, 
approximately nineteen hundred years. But 
computing the time from the Exodus or Moses 
to Jesus, when in fact the Old Dispensation 
in reality began, from Jesus to the present day 
is about equal to the period from Moses to 
Jesus. However, it is not contended that the 
intervals of time between religious epochs 
must be of exactly the same duration; because 
there might be more or less progress in some 
periods than in others. A restatement of reli- 
gion is due whenever the old order no longer 
reflects the beliefs of a large number of its 
constituents. It 1s somewhat like a political 
partv: when the party principles no longer 
express the sentiments of the party’s ad- 
herents, it 1s time, either to adopt a new set 
of principles, or organize a new party. 

To deny that epochs in religious thought 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 17 


ultimately will come, even if it is denied that 
a new epoch is already at hand, 1s to repudiate 
the law of progress in the world. If there is 
such a law, it inexorably follows there will 
come sooner or later a time when the develop- 
ment of religious belief will become sufficiently 
ereat as to warrant a differentiation of it from 
its immediate predecessor. Not that such 
changes come about abruptly, or that the lines 
of demarcation separating one epoch from 
another are sharply drawn. But a gradual 
transition takes place like the night shading 
into the dawn and the dawn into the daylight. 

There are strong indications that we are on 
the threshold of such a transition at the 
present time. The growing religious unrest 
that has been noticeable for several years, has 
within the last decade—and especially within 
the last three or four years—assumed a more 
acute stage. At the present time a heated con- 
troversy is raging between the ‘‘modernist”’ 
and ‘‘fundamentalist’’ groups. Liberal minded 
clergymen are being dispossessed of their 
charges; insistent demands for the lberaliza- 
tion of creeds by some of the prominent sects 
have been made. On every hand one hears 
references to ‘‘the new religion,’’ showing un- 
mistakable signs of change in religious beliefs. 

In Czecho-Slovakia since the signing of the 


18 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Armistice, three distinct religious movements 
have taken place. The first was the establish- 
ment of a new and independent Catholic 
Church into which over eight hundred thou- 
sand former Roman Catholics have been in- 
ducted. The second was an exodus of over 
sixty thousand Roman Catholics to the Prot- 
estant church. And the third and most sig- 
nificant of all, was that more than a million 
persons comprising both Catholics and Prot- 
estants, have withdrawn from those branches 
and have declared themselves without church 
affihation of any kind. Similar movements 
are reported to have taken place in Jugo- 
Slovakia and Poland.* 

Nor is the heated controversy betwen con- 
servatists and liberalists confined to Christen- 
dom alone; for we read in the press-dispatches 
of the day that the same thing is taking place 
in the Near East. In Turkey the progressive 
elements of Islamism headed by Mustafa 
IKKemal have banished the Sultan and Caliph, 
separated church and state, unveiled their 
women and suppressed the dervishes; they 
have banned the fez and appeared in complete 
Huropean costume.” } 

However, such religious innovations are not 


1 Literary Digest, Oct. 22, 1921. 
2 Iiterary Digest, Oct. 12, 1925. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 19 


being accomplished without strong opposition 
from orthodox Moslems, especially in Arabia. 
Islam too, has its ‘‘fundamentalists,’’ who are 
prepared to rebel against the reforms of 
Mustafa Kemal, and if necessary to enforce 
the original Mohammedan faith at the point 
of the sword. Ibn Saoud, the head of the 
Wahabis sect, is the leader of the ‘*funda- 
mentalists’’ and has obtained possession of the 
holy shrines. As in Christianity, orthodox 
Mohammedans brand ‘‘modernists’’ as heretics 
and punish by excommunication and by re- 
moving them from ecclesiastical positions. 

_ Also an indication from the Far East that 
Buddhism is not measuring up to modern 
religious standards in that quarter, is evi- 
denced by the fact that Japan in 1918 sent 
emissaries to the United States to study Chris- 
tianity at close range as practised by probably 
the most progressive people in the world, with 
a view of adopting it as her state religion. 
However, the transforming power of Chris- 
tianity was not sufficiently convincing to war- 
rant them recommending it as an ideal religion 
for the subjects of that nation. 

Such controversies and changes noted in the 
foregoing are the best evidences that the law 
of progress is operative in religion as else- 
where. So long as people are satisfied with 


20 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


existing standards, there is not likely to be 
much if any change for the better. <A satisfied 
person is seldom a progressive individual. 
When one becomes dissatisfied usually he be- 
gins to exercise his mind in order to extricate 
himself from his dilemma. If one’s thought 
processes result in a solution of one’s prob- 
lems, it is generally reflected in his actions. 
What is true individually, is true collectively. 
A single person, whose views no longer accord 
with the institution with which he is affiliated, 
is not hkely to be able to effect much if any 
change in its policies and principles. But 
when a considerable element finds itself out of 
harmony with them, it 1s possible through its 
collective efforts to achieve reforms impos- 
sible of accomplishing singly. It is under such 
circumstances that forward steps are taken 
in religion as well as in other things. 

When it is remembered by the reader that 
the title of this production is, The Newer 
Dispensation, he will appreciate the need for 
such an introduction to the subject as is con- 
tained in this chapter. It is the writer’s pur- 
pose to take the Hebrew or Israelitish nation 
as a cross-section of civilization and from its 
history note the religious contributions made 
by it and the circumstances and conditions out 
of which they sprang. This will be followed 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION _ 21 


by an analysis of the New Dispensation as 
formulated by Jesus, in both instances relying 
chiefly on the Old and New Testaments, which 
are the respective exponents of those systems. 
That will be followed by a history of the main 
institutions, events and movements that have 
taken place since the beginning of the Chris- 
tian Era out of which have been born the 
newer religious conceptions and beliefs. This 
production will be concluded with a formula- 
tion of the system of The Newer Dispensation 
in which are blended the newer religious no- 
tions with those of the past that have stood 
the test of experience and reason and proven 
to be sound. Before proceeding to the task 
outlined above, in order to enable the reader 
to better appreciate the subsequent discussion, 
it is proposed to preface it with a chapter de- 
fining religion, which will be the next one fol- 
lowing. 


CHAPTER: IT 
RELIGION DEFINED 


RELIGION is a Subject of universal interest 
and expression. No class of people from the 
savage to the most civilized, but who exhibit 
in their actions and manners religious notions 
and beliefs. Not only classes representative 
of every strata of society from the lowest to 
the highest, but every individual embraced be- 
tween these extremes, reflects in his acts reli- 
gious ideas whether or not he is conscious of 
their character. 

The term religion is derived from one or the 
other of the Latin verbs, relegere meaning to 
gather together, or from relegare meaning to 
bind back, fasten. It is not very clear what 
relation either of those meanings sustain to 
what the average person to-day construes reli-. 
gion to be. , 

T'o formulate a definition of religion that 
will embrace all the shades of meaning mani- 
fested in such a wide range as racial develop- 
ment, is not an easy matter. In the first place, 
it is evident that any definition must be broad 

22 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 23 


enough to include the grossest superstitions of 
the savage as well as the most refined, subtle 
and abstruse conceptions of the learned and 
cultured. It must fit the fetishism of the 
animistic worshiper, exemplified in the tribal 
stage of development, the symbolism and mys- 
ticism of the polytheistic adherent character- 
istic of the national stage, and it must com- 
prehend the supramundane and transcendent 
conceptions of the international and universal 
religions. Secondly, it must be versatile 
enough to permit of the distinction between 
the inner consciousness of a purely spiritual 
nature as opposed to an outward solely ma- 
terial one. It must admit of man’s notion of 
dependeney upon a higher power or powers, 
to whom he feels he owes fealty and allegiance ; 
and it must likewise provide for the beliefs 
of those who feel no such dependence and who 
recognize no necessity for fidelity and loyalty. 
In the third place, it must be exclusive enough 
to bar all irrelevant factors. In other words: 
a social system is not necessarily a religious 
system notwithstanding it may foster religious 
institutions and practises within it and its 
members be religious. In erecting a barrier, 
how shall we decide respecting certain things 
that are somewhere near the border and may 
be in process of differentiation? How about 


24 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


morality and ethics, are they religion? Some 
writers on the subject class morality and ethics 
outside of the realm of religion. One such 
writer, Dr. George Galloway, in his treatise, 
The Philosophy of Religion, argues with much 
force and at considerable length, to show that 
morality and ethics should be considered 
separate from religion. Yet he admits that 
they have practically the same values as reli- 
gion and both are the products of the spiritual 
nature of man the same as it is. His argu- 
ments appear to be adapted to the postulate 
that the goal of religion is supramundane, 
while that of morality and ethics is purely ter- 
restrial. Such a treatment of the subject is 
more in keeping with the view that religion 
is something that has been bestowed on man 
from without, rather than something he has 
developed from within. 'T’o exclude morality 
and ethics from religion, would narrow and 
restrict its scope too much to meet the require- 
ments of all classes of religious notions and 
beliefs. It would confine a definition of reli- 
gion almost exclusively to man’s conception of 
a higher power or powers, his relations to 
them and the ultimate goal of the spirit of 
man in a supramundane sphere. One of the 
best reasons that morality and ethies should 
be included in religion is that many of the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 25 


tenets, rites, precepts, ceremonies and reli- 
gious practises have their origins in the ac- 
cepted moral and ethical standards of the 
times. first receiving the indorsement of 
society, later they have the sanction of reli- 
gion. The Decalogue and the Moral Code of 
the Israelitish religion furnish an excellent 
example. It is difficult indeed, to see how they 
could be separated from the religion of that 
people. 

Morality and ethics, hke religion, are sub- 
ject to development. It is the habit to say a 
thing is moral or immoral, ethical or unethical, 
meaning of course that the difference is one 
of degree only. A thing that is moral, ethical, 
or religious in one age, may not be considered 
so in a later one. Originally all acts were on 
a par. One act was as moral or ethical as 
another. For the savage strong man to lie in 
wait for the arrival of a weaker brother re- 
turning from the chase and to dispossess him 
of the fruits of the hunt, measured by the then 
accepted standards of savagery, was just as 
moral as his rescue of an associate from 
drowning. It is only after a still stronger or 
craftier fellow-being has robbed him of the 
fruits of his labors, that it begins to dawn 
upon his dull mind that such a practise 1s not 
quite right. By such a process comes about 


26 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


the realization that some acts are better than 
others; that certain kinds of conduct are 
recognized as permissible while other kinds 
are forbidden. When man reached the stage 
of, ‘‘thou shalt not,’’ it was the first indication 
of morality. 

The accepted standards of morality and 
ethics of any age are interwoven with the 
other religious conceptions and beliefs of the 
people observing them. ‘They enter into their 
conception of deity. First receiving the in- 
dorsement of the tribe, nation, or race, later 
they are conceived of as having the sanction 
of the gods, who are charged with their en- 
forcement and observance. In the formative, 
or early stages of religious development, the 
people endow the gods with the qualities, traits 
and ideals they themselves possess. The deistic 
conception being anthropomorphic to the 
point of corporeality, the gods countenance 
certain practises and frown upon others. In 
this way another stimulus for developing 
morality enters. Refraining from certain 
acts and conforming to approved standards 
of conduct in order to appease the gods and 
escape their wrath, tend to develop higher 
moral and ethical standards in the race. So, 
instead of excluding morality and ethics from 
the definition of religion, it appears obvious 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 27 


they should by all means be included, because 
they are clearly phases of it. 

Many definitions have been given of religion. 
The Century Dictionary submits three which 
are as follows: (1) ‘‘ Recognition of and alle- 
giance in manner of life to a superhuman 
power or superhuman powers, to whom alle- 
glance and service are regarded as justly due; 
(2) The healthful development and right life 
of the spiritual nature, as contrasted with that 
of the mere intellectual and social powers; (3) 
Any system of faith in and worship of a divine 
being or beings: as, the Christian religion, 
the religion of the Jews, Greeks, Hindus or 
Mohammedans.’’ Dr. EK. B. Tylor in Primi- 
tive Culture proposes as a minimum defini- 
tion, ‘*The belief in spiritual beings.’’ Dr. J. 
G. Frazier’s definition in The Golden Bough 
is, ‘‘A propitiation or conciliation of powers 
superior to man which are believed to direct 
and control the course of nature and of human 
life.’’? Professor Menzies in his History of 
Religion submits a definition of religion as 
being: ‘‘The worship of spiritual beings from 
a sense of need.’’ Prof. Hoffding in his work 
on Religionsphilosophie, defines religion as 
‘‘Haith in the conservation of value.’’ Pfleid- 
erer’s definition of religion as stated in the 
third edition of his Religionsphilosophie is: 


28 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


‘The direction of the will which corresponds 
to the idea of the Deity.’’ Dr. George Gallo- 
way in his work, The Pllosophy of Religion 
proposes a tentative definition of religion as 
follows: ‘‘Man’s faith in a power beyond him- 
self whereby he seeks to satisfy his emotional 
needs and gain stability of life and which he 
expresses in acts of worship and service.’’ ‘To 
our mind this last comes nearer fulfilling all 
the requirements of a definition of religion 
than any of the others that have been men- 
tioned. The criticism that can be offered to 
the definitions enumerated is, they are either 
one-sided or too narrow. Each is chiefly 
definitive of one or at most two stages of reli- 
gious development. [Even the last one, that of 
Dr. Galloway, is not broad enough to compre- 
hend all the shades of religious beliefs ex- 
hibited in a range as wide as that contained 
between the extremes of tribal and universal 
religious development. 

We submit herewith our own definition of 
religion for what it is worth. If not entirely 
satisfactory it may assist someone in formu- 
lating for himself a more accurate one. It 
follows: Religion is the sum of the emotions 
one feels, the ideas, notions and beliefs ex- 
pressed in acts, or cherished in thought, that 
one entertains respecting the universes and all 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 29 


creation as well as the Creator or Cause It- 
self, together with one’s relationship and obli- 
gations to Creation and the Creator. We claim 
for our definition that it is broad enough to 
compass the entire range of religious develop- 
ment. It is applicable to the spiritism of the 
lowest forms of pantheism exhibited in nature 
and ancestor worship. It fits as well, the 
magic, sorcery and soothsaying of the tribal 
religion. ‘The polytheistic hierarchies of the 
national stages of religious development, such 
as were exhibited by Greece and Rome, come 
within its formula. The more heterogeneous, 
definite and coherent religious beliefs and 
practises portrayed by international religious 
systems such as Christianity, Buddhism, 
Mohammedanism and Confucianism, conform 
to it; as well as the transcendent conceptions 
and ideas of those reflecting a universal reli- 
gion. It is obvious that it takes into considera- 
tion the relationship of men with each other 
and their relationship to the Creator. It 
admits of any change in those relationships 
that may for any reason subsequently come 
about. It permits any deistic conception any 
individual or stratum of society may conceive 
of in any age. It is claimed for it that it 1s 
inclusive enough to embrace miscellaneous 1n- 
dividuals and groups who are atheists, or those 


30 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


who profess not to have any religion whatso- 
ever. To the charge that will probably be 
made by some that our definition of religion 
is too broad, the rejoinder is, that it is Impos- 
sible to make it any less so and meet the re- 
quirements it must fulfil in the performance 
of its function. 

With the foregoing discussion of what con- 
stitutes religion, we shall now proceed to the 
task outlined in the previous chapter. The 
reader is asked to withhold his criticism of 
our definition of religion until he has con- 
sidered our subsequent discussions. Some con- 
fidence is felt that after so doing, he will not 
deem our definition too broad. 


THE OLD DISPENSATION 


Pe 





CHAPTER ITI 


WuHeEN Abraham with his wife, Sarah, his 
father, Terah and his brother Lot and his wife, 
emigrated from Ur in Chaldea to the land of 
Canaan, he brought with him the monotheistic 
conception of deity. Monotheism was at that 
time unique in the world. The deistic concep- 
tions of all the other tribes and nations of that 
day were polytheistic. In a world of universal 
polytheism, monotheism must have seemed a 
very radical belief. Whether Abraham left 
Ur and Chaldea because of the unpopularity 
of his new deistic conception and of persecu- 
tion and sought a land where he could worship 
Jehovah according to the dictates of his own 
conscience, we can only surmise, there being 
in the narratives no direct evidences that such 
were the case. But when we are reminded 
how vigorously any moderate departure from 
the accepted and accustomed order 1s opposed 
even to-day, it is easy to suspect that such 
were his reasons. If we but visualize the con- 
ditions and state of society at that time, a 

33 


34 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


belief in such suspicion is strengthened. In 
order that the reader may more easily be able 
to do so, a description of conditions in the 
society of that day might well be in order. 
At that time, all social development was still 
in a semi-primitive stage. Government then 
was chiefly patriarchal, although the patriarch 
was usually referred to as king, which in 
reality he was, although his rule extended at 
farthest only over a few tribes. The nations 
for the most part were very small, which 
chiefly accounts for their being so numerous. 
The people of that day still lived in tents, huts 
and caves. Abraham, and his descendents for 
several generations after him, lived in tents 
and huts and led a nomadic life. Their chief 
occupations were pastoral. They followed 
their herds where the pasturing was good and 
the water plentiful. They raised only suffi- 
cient grain, consisting chiefly of wheat, barley 
and flax to supply their barest needs. The 
erain was ground into coarse flour between 
two stones or in a stone bowl with a pestle. 
Their clothing was made mostly from the 
skins of their domestic beasts, wild animals, 
and plain cloth woven from the wool of their 
flocks and from flax. The clothing of the 
servants and slaves were chiefly the cast-off 
garments of their masters. Such were the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION | 35 


Hebrews when they are first met with in his- 
tory. ‘They were semi-primitive. 

How are we to distinguish the primitive, or 
Seml-primitive from the barbaric and civi-; 
hzed? The answer is: ‘‘ By their fruits ye shall 
know them.’’ Primitive man does not live in 
or build houses, but lives in tents, huts and 
caves; builds no bridges; constructs no roads; 
has no vehicles and only the simplest imple- 
ments and mechanical appliances; he prints 
no books, and his only literature is tradition ; 
has no institutions for his improvement or the 
amelioration of his condition; makes few if 
any discoveries; develops no art and creates 
no musie worthy of the name; and his occupa- 
tions are chiefly pastoral and the chase. 

The barbarian is distinguished because of 
his greater accomplishments. He has more 
- occupations; he settles permanently in a local- 
ity. He builds substantial and picturesque 
houses, although he may share them with the 
horses, cows, pigs and chickens. His language 
is much more developed; his traditions have 
been compiled and his history and other ex- 
periences are narrated in a meager literature. 
He has crude schools for the education of his 
children; builds churches in which to express 
his growing religious consciousness. He pays 
more attention to form and color in the con- 


36 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


struction of his buildings and his garments, 
thereby disclosing a growing sense of art. 
He builds bridges and constructs highways, 
clumsy vehicles and implements; but no rail- 
roads and few if any factories. Division of 
labor is still in its infancy. He has developed 
an embryonic commerce. He produces a small 
surplus and exchanges his products for those 
of his neighbors. 

Civilized man has a complex division of 
labor. Little or no manufacturing is done in 
the home. A highly developed factory system 
produces an infinite variety of products to 
meet his requirements. His occupations are 
numerous and some of them highly com- 
plex. He has developed numerous professions. 
Steam propelled ships carry cargoes of his 
surplus products to the farthest corners of the 
earth. He throws steam and electric railways 
across the continents. Automatically pro- 
pelled vehicles convey him on land and through 
the air. His inventions enable him to com- 
municate almost instantly with people almost 
as remotely situated as the poles. His language 
is highly developed whereby he can express 
his subtlest meaning. His literature is varied, 
voluminous and comprehensive. Not only 
does he build schools and churches, but hospi- 
tals and asylums. He discovers new lands and 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION ~ 37 


invents new contrivances of endless variety. 
He composes symphonies in music and his art 
extends to all his creations. His mind is open 
and ever alert for suggestions that will lead 
him to further accomplishment. He makes 
the works of nature serve him. 

From the foregoing it 1s plain that the early 
Hebrew people belonged no higher than the 
semi-primitive stage. The chief and only in- 
dication of an advancement beyond that state 
is their monotheistic conception. While it was 
original, and peculiar to the Hebrew people 
alone, and was revolutionary in its character, 
it was crudely conceived. Nevertheless their 
expression of it was characteristic of a people 
in that stage of racial development. Their 
conception of Jehovah was anthropomorphic. 
The image of him in their minds was patri- 
archal and they endowed him with the quali- 
ties and dispositions the patriarchs themselves 
possessed. According to their ideas, his rule 
was arbitrary and should be. Huis orders were 
to be implicitly obeyed. Harshness character- 
ized his disposition. He was subject to the 
same whims, could be coaxed, cajoled, and 
tempted by the same inducements they recog- 
nized in themselves. Likewise, he was offended 
at and condemned the same things at which 
they themselves were offended and _ con- 


38 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


demned. He frowned upon those things that 
met with the common disapproval of the 
patriarchal rulers. He sanctioned those things 
that met the general approval of them. Like 
the patriarch and father, he was ambitious 
for his children and tempted them to greater 
achievements by promises of rewards in keep- 
ing with their desires. or example, Jehovah’s 
covenant with Abraham in the seventeenth 
chapter of Genesis, wherein he promises 
Abraham that if he will walk before him and 
be perfect, he will make him the father of a 
multitude of nations; that he will make him 
exceedingly fruitful and that kings shall come 
out of his seed. Moreover, Jehovah promises 
to give Abraham and his seed after him, all 
the land of Canaan for an everlasting posses- 
sion, which naturally Abraham no doubt 
very much coveted. Furthermore, Jehovah 
promised Abraham that Sarah, his wife, who 
had thus far been barren, should bear a child, 
Isaac; and that Jehovah would renew his 
covenant with Isaac, which he did according 
to the narrative recorded in the twenty-sixth 
chapter of Genesis. In the twenty-eighth 
chapter of the same book, Jehovah renews his 
covenant with Jacob. In the twenty-third 
chapter of Exodus, Jehovah promises Jacob 
that he will be an enemy to his enemies and 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION — 39 


will fight for him in accomplishing the fulfill- 
ment of the terms of his covenant with him. 

Furthermore, Jehovah enforced obedience 
by inflicting punishments in keeping with their 
own ideas of severity. The destruction of the 
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; * the numerous 
plagues with which the Egyptians were pun- 
ished for refusing to allow the Israelites to 
leave the country.” He also employed threats 
as a means of enforcing his commands. [or 
example: in connection with the Second Com- 
mandment, Jehovah reminds them that he is 
‘fa jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the 
fathers upon the children unto the third and 
unto the fourth generations of them that hate 
me, and showing loving kindness unto thou- 
sands of them that love me and keep my com- 
mandments.’’* Again in the Seventh Com- 
mandment: ‘‘Thou shalt not take the name 
of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will 
not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in 
Velie 

While the monotheistic conception of the 
Hebrews marked an advanced step in religious 
progress, as was to be expected, their exposi- 
tion of it was in keeping with their racial de- 
velopment. In the worship of Jehovah, the 


1 Genesis 19:23-25. 2 Exodus, 8,9, 10, 11. 2? Ex. 20:46. 4 Ex- 
odus 20:7. 


40 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Hebrews employed the same methods as were 
used by the polytheistic pagan nations in the 
worship of their gods. Like the polytheists, 
they worshipped Jehovah in the open. 


‘‘The groves were God’s first temples. Ere man learned 
To hew the shaft, and lay the architrave, 
And spread the roof above them—ere he framed 
The lofty vault, to gather and roll back 
The sound of anthems,—in the darkling wood, 
Amid the cool and silence, he knelt down 
And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks 
And supplication.’’ 4 


The first thing Abraham did upon his 
arrival in Canaan, was to erect an altar under 
an oak at Moreh and offer thereon a sacrifice 
to Jehovah. Abraham and his descendants 
offered sacrifice on altars as a means of pro- 
pitiating Jehovah in the same manner as did 
the polytheistic worshipers to their gods. 
While some were to propitiate him and main- 
tain his continued good favor, others were to 
atone for sins committed. In keeping with 
their minds, the smoke and savory odors of 
the sacrifice ascended to the sky, where 
Jehovah was thought to dwell. Not only could 
he smell the pleasant odors that arose to the 
heavens, but he could look down upon the 
worshipers and note their efforts to please 
him. 

1 Forest Hymn—Bryant. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 41 


Just as the pagan gods preferred the first 
fruits and the unblemished and fattest males 
of the herd or flock, so likewise did Jehovah. 
Consequently strict attention was paid to the 
selection of the sacrifice in order that they 
might not incur his displeasure through the 
sacrifice of an animal that was inferior, or the 
last of the fruits and grain. The methods of 
performing the sacrifice though simple at first, 
eradually became more complex. Not only 
were certain animals to be used for a given 
occasion, but the way they were killed, the 
parts used and the disposition of the re- 
mainder, was important. Without ceremony 
at first, simple rites eventually accompanied 
the sacrifice, which rites later on, developed 
into an elaborate ceremony. In the same man- 
ner, from a simple altar at first constructed 
from a few rough stones, it became necessary 
to have an elaborate altar made according to 
a very definite plan and according to minute 
instructions... While the patriarch himself, 
originally performed the sacrifice and the few 
and simple rites attendant thereon, as the 
tribes increased in size and number, and the 
ceremonies became more elaborate, there re- 
sulted a division of sacrificial duties. Such 
duties came to be delegated to certain persons, 


1 Ex. 27:1-8. 


42 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


for example, Aaron and his sons were chosen 
to be the first priests, whose duties were those 
pertaining to the sacrifice and the tabernacle.’ | 
Irom an arbitrary choice of priests at first, 
the priesthood became hereditary. Aaron’s 
sons assisting him in the duties of the priestly 
office during his life* and tenure, succeeded 
him at his death and through their line the 
tribe of Levi became the priestly tribe.’ 
Without doubt the priestly office is one of 
the oldest if not the oldest, of religious institu- 
tions. The duties of the office, simple at first, 
were performed by the patriarch of the family, 
elan or tribe; later when the social body be- 
came more comprehensive, a special officer 
with his sons being chosen for such duties, 
until finally, a certain tribe was set apart for 
the inheritance of that office; from the sac- 
rifice of only one animal originally, until at 
last, when upon important occasions, heca- 
tombs of animals were sacrificed, such as took 
place at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. 
Other aspects of the religion of the early 
Hebrews that materially assist in determining 
their racial religious status, are certain prac- 
tises employed by them, which have their 
origins only in the lowest orders of religious 
development. ‘The various forms of divina- 


1x. 28-1. 2 Lev. 8-36. 3 Nu. 20:23-29. Nu. 1:49-53. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 43 


tion employed by a people are a fairly 
accurate guide in determining their stage of 
advancement. That the early Hebrews or 
Israelites practised or believed in magic and 
sorcery, not only show that they employed the 
Same methods and practises in their religion 
as did the polytheistic pagans, but reflects the 
influence different religious systems exert on 
each other. Moreover, it shows how many 
obsolete elements are carried forward and per- 
petuated in a newer order. While the early 
Hebrews sanctioned certain forms of divina- 
tion, they rejected others. Some of the grosser 
forms of it, such as necromancy, exorcism, 
soothsaying, and augury were forbidden by 
them. ; 

A few instances of divination as employed 
by the early Hebrews or Israelites will be 
sufficient to establish the assertion that they 
indulged in such practises. In the seventh 
chapter of Exodus we read: 


‘‘And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and 
before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Phar- 
aoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and 
they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner 
with their enchantments. For they cast down every man 
his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod 
swallowed up their rods.’’ 


All will recall the rod of Moses and the 


Ack THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


wonderful magic it possessed. In the fourth 
chapter of Exodus we read: 


‘‘ Jehovah said unto him (Moses) what is that in thy 
hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on 
the ground. And he east it on the ground, and it became 
a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And Jehovah 
said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take it by the 
tail (and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and 
it became a rod in his hand).’’ 


‘And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod where- 
with thou shalt do the signs.’’ 


Again in Exodus Chapter seven: 


‘And he (Moses) lifted up the rod, and smote the 
waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, 
and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that 
were in the river were turned to blood.’’ 


Exodus chapter fourteen: 


‘“And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand 
over the sea and divide it: and the children of Israel 
Shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.’’ 


The seventeenth chapter of Exodus: 


‘‘ And Moses said unto Joshua, choose us out men, and 
0 out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the 
top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.’’ 


In the twentieth chapter of Numbers 
Jehovah commands: 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION - 45 


‘‘Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, 
and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock 
before their eyes, that it give forth its water... and 
Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his 
rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the 
congregation drank and their ecattle.’’ 


Another form of magic that was popular 
with the early Hebrews was the ‘‘sacred 
lot,’? in which were employed the urim and 
thummin, with the addition, sometimes, of the 
teraphim and at still other times, the ephod. 
Just what the urim and thummin were is 
somewhat vague. But they appear to have 
been some kind of petty images probably 
similar to the teraphim, which we know to be 
household idols from the episode of Laban and 
Jacob, recorded in the thirty-first chapter of 
Genesis. The ephod as deseribed in the thirty- 
ninth chapter of Exodus, was a sort of banner 
or ensign. The relationship between the urim, 
thummin, teraphim and ephod was very close. 
There were fetishes connected with them that 
made their use general in early Hebrew wor- 
ship. 

As examples of sorcery may be mentioned 
the following: The underlying motive of the 
brazen serpent made by Moses and carried on 
a standard upon which the Israelites were 
commanded to look, to ward off harm from 


46 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


snake bite as recorded in the twenty-first 
chapter of Numbers, is an example. ‘The 
teraphim, or household gods of Laban alluded 
to above and which his daughter Rachel stole 
from him when she fled from home with her 
husband Jacob while her father. was away 
shearing sheep, were no doubt thought by 
Jacob to prevent evil happening to him and 
his family and flock. The sprinkling of blood 
on the door posts, on certain parts of the 
‘faltar’’ and the ‘‘mercy seat’’ and about the 
‘‘tabernacle’’ in the early Hebrew worship, 
were mild forms of sorcery. The wearing of 
amulets on the arm, frontlets on the forehead 
between the eyes, signs on the door-posts, the 
setting up of some object or image to ward off 
the evil-eye, demons, or evil spirits, not only 
were common practises in those times, but 
have their counterparts to-day in the placing 
of a horse-shoe over the door, the carrying of 
a rabbit’s foot, or a lucky coin. 

In addition to the foregoing may be men- 
tioned evidences of primitive religion of a dif- 
ferent class. The Israelites had their asherah 
and masseba scattered throughout the land 
the same as the pagans. These asherah were 
wooden posts or poles set up with signs and 
figures on them—a sort of totem pole. These 
and the messeba, or sacred stone pillar, stood 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION AT 


near the altar of every ‘‘high place”? as they 


were usually called, in Canaan. They were 
generally under some tree, or near some spring 
or other natural object, and were set apart as 
sacred places of worship. Some times the 
Israelites and pagans broke down each other’s 
asherah; and over which they some times en- 
gaged in fights. 

Other features of primitive religious ob- 
Servances practised by the early Israelites, 
were the feast days. In common with the 
pagans they observed the ‘‘festival of new 
moons,’’ ‘‘festival of weeks,’’ ‘‘day of first 
fruits’’ etc. Moreover, to some extent they 
imitated the pagans by sacrificing their first 
born. Even Abraham was tempted to offer 
up his son, I[saae. 

Additional characteristic forms of religious 
development in its early formative stage that 
ought not to be overlooked in this connection 
are the methods employed by the gods in com- 
municating their will to human kind. One 
of the most common agencies, was that of 
dreams. ‘l’o the primitive mind, dreams were 
as real as the places they dreamed about. ‘The 
dream of Abimelech recorded in the twentieth 
chapter of Genesis and Jacob’s dream of the 
ladder reaching from earth to heaven with 
angels descending and ascending thereon, 


48 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


which is narrated in the twenty-eighth chapter 
of Genesis, are examples. In keeping with 
the primitive mind’s notion of the world, 
heaven was reached from the top of some high 
mountain or hill. As has just been alluded 
to, Jacob’s ladder was sufficient to reach from 
earth to heaven, where the gods dwelled. With 
man’s expanding consciousness, augury, which 
was one of the very earliest methods employed 
by man to ascertain the will of the gods was 
eradually discarded. ‘T'he Hebrews even in 
their earliest history had progressed beyond 
that. The dream medium for ascertaining the 
mind of the gods was a higher method—and 
in keeping with a race that had developed to 
the monotheistic plane. But one contact with 
the Hebrew’s god, Jehovah was insufficient. 
They needed emissaries as a means of com- 
munication between Jehovah and themselves. 
So the expanding Hebrew mind invented mes- 
Sengers or angels—demi-gods for the per- 
formance of that service. Angels were con- 
ceived of by them as being intermediary 
between gods and men—half gods. At first 
they came and went from heaven to earth by 
way of a high hill or mountain, or as we have 
seen, by Jacob’s ladder. But with the expand- 
ing knowledge of a more comprehensive world 
and the distance the sky is from the earth, the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 49 


inconsistency of the mountain or ladder means 
of ingress and egress became apparent; so the 
angelic messengers were provided with wings. 
As a further instance of development of the 
angel idea may be cited the fact that in our 
first acquaintanceship with the angel concep- 
tion in the Bible, there are no ranks or 
erades of angels, and only two classes, 
the cherubim—angels of the court, and the 
seraphim—throne bearers. ‘The conception of 
rank appears to have developed parallel 
with the political forms employed by the 
race. Hierarchies of angels, corresponding 
to a political hierarchy, appear to have 
occurred to the Hebrews at about the time 
they reached the kingly stage of government. 
It is at about that period that mention is first 
made of archangels. 

Thus it 1s seen that the narratives of the 
Old Testament support the statement that the 
early Hebrews employed many methods, rites 
and ceremonies and shared many beliefs with 
the polytheistic pagan nations by which they 
were surrounded. Some of them, such as the 
various forms of divination, were typical of 
animism and nature worship—forms of reli- 
gious expression standing close to the bottom 
of the scale. Their religious methods, agen- 
cies, practises and beliefs coupled with their 


50 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


manner of living, occupations and form of 
eovernment, indicate their stage of develop- 
ment. By their fruits we are able to determine 
their racial and religious status. 

With the Hebrew race, as with all other 
peoples in a primitive or formative state of 
development, their religion is woven about 
their deity. How intimate was their relation- 
ship with Jehovah! Jehovah, the patriarchal 
deity, sought the patriarchal ruler of the tribe 
and talked with him as man to man. Their 
relations with him were much the same as their 
relations with each other. Somewhat later, we 
shall be able to observe that Jehovah becomes 
a little more remote, and the ruler of the 
nation seeks Jehovah instead of him seeking 
the ruler. 

The early Hebrew people’s notion of crea- 
tion was confined to the little corner of the 
world in which they were situated, together 
with the Sun, Moon and the starry firmament 
upon which they gazed, without having the 
slightest idea that the world was round, that 
other peoples like themselves lived on the op- 
posite side, and that the stars they saw were 
worlds similar to the one on which they lived. 


CHAPTER LV 


IN the previous chapter attention has been 
called to the new deistic conception, monothe- 
ism, without doubt the greatest contribution 
to religious progress the world had up to that 
time experienced. ‘To that conception prob- 
ably more than to any other of the several 
contributions made by the Hebrew race to 
religious progress, is due the distinction that 
nation enjoys in the history of civilization. A 
brief description of the life of the early 
Hebrew people while yet in a semi-primitive 
or formative stage and of the conditions out 
of which this new deistic idea sprang, has been 
given. In the two following chapters atten- 
tion will be called to three more important 
steps in religious progress made by the 
Hebrew race. The reference is to the con- 
tributions made by the prophets, Amos and 
Hosea. This sets us forward several hundred 
years—to the middle of the seventh century 
B.c. However, before proceeding it appears 
that a recitation of the main events in Hebrew 
history up to this time and out of which the 

51 


52 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


contributions of Amos and Hosea grew, ought 
to be furnished. 

When Abraham, the progenitor of the 
Hebrew race first came to Canaan, his wife, 
Sarah up to that time had been barren and 
continued so for many years. Because Sarah 
had given up hope of ever having any chil- 
dren, she gave to her husband her Egyptian 
hand-maid, Hagar. Hagar bore her husband 
Ishmael. However, Sarah in her old age 
bore her husband Isaac, through whom the 
genealogy of the Hebrew race is traced. ‘To 
Isaac were born Jacob and Hsau. ‘T’o Jacob 
were born twelve sons, who ultimately became 
the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. 
Jacob’s name was changed to Israel after 
whom the nation takes its name. ‘The fore- 
going embraces the first period of Israelitish 
history. 

Because Jacob apparently loved his younger 
son Joseph more than his brothers, his other 
sons became envious of Joseph. Because of 
their envy the brothers of Joseph kidnapped 
him and sold him to members of a caravan 
geoing down into Egypt. His brothers retained 
his coat which they dipped in blood and 
showed to their father representing that a 
wild beast had slain him. Arriving in Egypt, 
Joseph was sold to the chamberlain of 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 53 


Pharaoh’s court. Through Joseph’s ability 
to interpret a dream of Pharaoh’s which none 
of his magicians had been able to divine, 
Joseph was made a servant in Pharaoh’s 
palace. In that capacity his ability being 
further recognized by the king, he was rapidly 
promoted until he became prime minister of 
Keypt and second only to Pharaoh himself. 
In that office he further distinguished him- 
self by conserving the surplus grain during 
years of plenty against the years of famine 
that were of frequent occurrence in that coun- 
try in those days. The famine. ultimately came 
and was general in its scope affecting other 
countries besides Egypt. Canaan was among 
them. Irom his stores of grain he fed the 
Keyptians, selling grain to them so long as 
their money lasted and afterwards in exchange 
for their flocks, herds and lands. Joseph not 
only kept the people from starving, but gained 
the land and all. the wealth of Egypt for 
Pharaoh, the ruler. 

In their extremity, Jacob back in Canaan 
sent Joseph’s brothers to Kgypt to buy grain. 
They came to Pharaoh’s court. It happened 
that their negotiations were with Joseph their 
brother whom they did not recognize; but he 
knew them. That transaction resulted in 
Jacob and his sons immigrating to Lgypt, 


54 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Joseph locating them in the land of Goshen, 
the richest ‘section “of the “countrys. sea 
Israelites multiplied rapidly and became very 
prosperous, so much so, that the Egyptians 
became suspicious lest the Israelites take a 
notion to seize control of the country. Since 
the Israelites must have numbered more than 
a million people, and considering the policy 
of those days their suspicion probably had 
some grounds. The Egyptians started a cain- 
paign of persecution which terminated in 
slavery for the Israelites. Conditions became 
unbearable for:them. Finally a savior ap- 
peared in the person of Moses—a man 
eminently fitted to deliver them. Some one 
has said, ‘‘ Moses was the George Washington 
of the Israelitish people.’’ It was decided 
that the Israelites should withdraw from the 
country and make their way back to Canaan 
the original home their ancestors had left over 
four hundred years before. Due, no doubt to 
the fact that they had proven themselves most 
valuable servants, the Pharaoh, who was ruler 
of Egypt at that time, refused to allow them 
to go. After repeated requests by Moses on 
behalf of his people and as many refusals by 
Pharaoh, they decided to escape. According 
to a prearranged plan and by a concerted 
movement, the Israelites fled from Egypt in a 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 55 


single night. This event known as the ‘‘pass- 
over’’ is one of the most tragic episodes in 
history. The anniversary of that incident is 
religiously observed by the Israelitish people 
to the present day. Pharaoh and the entire 
Egyptian nation, although stunned by the aw- 
ful calamity occasioned by the murder of their 
first-born, from that of Pharaoh himself who 
sat upon the throne, to that of every family 
in Kgypt and the first born of all beasts, never- 
theless pursued them in an attempt to bring 
them back. While he harassed them for many 
days, his efforts were fruitless in the end, and 
the Israelites escaped. 

During the four hundred and thirty years 
the Israelites were in Egypt which comprises 
the second period of their history they had 
multiplied greatly so that at the time of the 
Exodus they numbered 603,550 men twenty 
years old and over who were able to go to war. 
Males under twenty years old and women and 
children were not counted." In his attempt to 
conduct the Israelites back to their native 
land, Canaan, Moses encountered many diffi- 
eulties. The hardships endured on the jour- 
ney and the discouragements the people had 
experienced during the latter years of their 
sojourn in Egypt, greatly affected their 


1 Numbers 1:46. 


56 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


morale. Their faith had been shaken so often 
they found it hard to have implicit confidence 
in anyone. Besides, ‘‘they were a stiff-necked 
people.’’ It required a strong and most able 
leader to control and guide them. As an in- 
stance of their waywardness: when Moses left 
them in charge of Aaron, his brother and 
retired with Joshua in Mount Sinai for forty 
days to draw up a code of laws or rules to be 
employed in governing them, during his ab- 
sence, the most fractious had demanded of 
Aaron; ‘‘Up, make us gods, which shall go 
before us; for as for this Moses, the man that 
brought us up out of the land of Kgypt, we 
know not what is become of him.’’* Aaron 
being a weak leader acceded to their request. 
After collecting their earrings and other 
jewelry, he made and set up for them the 
‘‘oolden ecalf.’? Moses, upon his return find- 
ing what had been done, was greatly provoked. 
Jalling for volunters he employed those re- 
sponding in slaying those who had been most 
instrumental in demanding an idol. While 
Moses did not live long enough to realize his 
ambition and complete the task of leading the 
Israelites into Canaan, even though they were 
in sight of it, nevertheless he provided in 
Joshua a competent leader and successor. 


1 Bx. 32:1. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 57 


Upon their final arrival in Canaan when a new 
census of the Israelites was taken, there were 
only two men,’ Joshua and Caleb, living who 
had been enumerated when the former one 
was taken forty years before. The wander- 
ings of the Israelites in the wilderness consti- 
tutes the third Epoch of their historical ex- 
periences. 

Upon their arrival in Canaan, the Israelites 
entered the fourth period of their progress as 
a nation. For three hundred years from the 
date of their arrival the twelve tribes com- 
posing the nation, were ruled by judges, of 
whom Joshua was the first and Samuel was 
the last. This period constitutes the conquest 
of Canaan. During this time the temperament 
of the Israelitish people appears to have 
undergone a marked change. From an 
amicable, peace loving people such as was ex- 
hibited by Abraham and his immediate 
descendants, they had become extremely ag- 
gressive and militaristic. The conquest of 
Canaan by the Israelities was a series of ruth- 
less wars, atrocities and cruelties. No ad- 
vanced step of religious progress is to be noted 
during this period. The last judge, Samuel, 
being an old man, entrusted the duties of 
rulership principally to his sons, who were 


1 Numbers 26:65. 


58 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


notoriously corrupt. The dissatisfaction on 
the part of the people became so general and 
there being so many monarchical examples of 
government around them, the people de- 
manded a king. 

Thus are we brought to the fifth stage of 
their national development. Samuel acceded 
to their wishes and appointed Saul, king. 
However, the monarchy as a united kingdom 
lasted only through the short reign of ten years 
of Saul and the two reigns of forty years 
each of David and Solomon. Notwithstand- 
ing the reputation of Solomon for his wisdom 
and the fame of his reign, the seed of revolu- 
tion in the Israelitish nation was sown by him. 
While he greatly extended the bounds of the 
kingdom and most wisely established friendly 
relations with neighboring nations, yet by his 
extravagances in building costly palaces and 
public buildings throughout the land in order 
to satisfy his vanity, he alienated his subjects. 
Solomon’s ambition appeared to be to make 
Israel assume an importance rivaling Egypt, 
Assyria and Chaldea. As a protest to the tax 
burdens imposed by Solomon’s rule, an insur- 
rection was led by Jeroboam, which Solomon 
was able quickly to suppress. However, dis- 
eontent did not abate and upon Solomon’s 
death was renewed by the same leader, Jero- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION | 59 


boam. This brings us to the Sixth period in 
the history and development of the Israelitish 
nation—the period of the divided monarchy. 

Upon the accession of Solomon’s son Reho- 
boam to the throne, the people sent an em- 
bassy to him asking for redress of grievances 
and a reduction in taxes. Rehoboam replied: 
‘‘My father made your yoke heavy, I will add 
to your yoke; my father chastized you with 
whips, I will chastize you with scorpions.’’ 
Such an answer was impolitic and that reply 
split the kingdom. ‘T'en of the twelve tribes 
—all but Judah and Benjamin—in an insur- 
rection led by Jeroboam, seceded. Jeroboam 
was chosen king of the ten tribes that seceded 
and established his capital at Samaria. Reho- 
boam retained his capital at Jerusalem. There 
were now two kingdoms, the northern king- 
dom, Israel embracing the ten tribes, and the 
southern kingdom, Judah, composed of two 
tribes. Hostility marked their attitude to- 
wards each other from the beginning. In ad- 
dition to their wars with each other, outside 
nations taking advantage of their weakened 
condition began pressing them, resulting in 
numerous conflicts with their neighbors. ‘The 
northern kingdom lasted from 937 B.c. to 722 
B.c. or, two hundred and fifteen years, when 
it was subjugated by Sargon, king of Assyria, 


60 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


the inhabitants being transported to Assyrian 
provinees and distributed among the villages 
of that country and forever afterwards lost 
to history. The southern kingdom lasted from 
940 B.c. to 586 B.c. when it fell under the yoke 
of Egypt, which it exchanged almost imme- 
diately for that of Chaldea. The southern 
kingdom, Judah, lasted 354 years, having in all 
nineteen kings—the same number the northern 
kingdom, Israel had, even though the life of 
that kingdom was shorter. The kingdom of 
Judah had several splendid rulers, but Israel 
did not have a single good one out of the entire 
number. 

While the period of the divided kingdom 
was without doubt the stormiest one in the 
history of the Israelitish nation, yet it was in 
that period that all but one of the steps of 
religious progress were taken after their so- 
journ in Egypt. The first to be noted are the 
contributions to religious progress made by 
the prophet Amos. For more than fifteen 
hundred years embracing the formative stages 
of the nation’s development, while it was be- 
coming larger and more heterogeneous, there 
was being developed the institution of prophet- 
ism. That institution purely a governmental 
bureau at first, came to have a wider scope. 
The prophet’s guilds, or schools later located 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 61 


at Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho and other places, 
existed for the purpose of training scribes, 
clerks and petty governmental officials. They 
were an official class. In addition to that class 
of prophets, or interpreters, had arisen a 
voluntary class. While a few minor voluntary 
prophets are referred to in the narratives 
prior to Elijah, he is considered the dean of 
the voluntary or unofficial class, although he 
left no writings. Elijah lived in the eighth 
century B.c. during the reign of Ahab, king 
of Israel. 

Approximately one hundred years after 
Elijah, a voluntary prophet appeared, who 
reduced his prophesies to writing. His name 
was Amos, by occupation a herdsman and a 
dresser of syecamine trees. His home was at 
Tekoa, a mountain-top village about twelve 
miles south of Jerusalem on the edge of the 
wilderness. While he lived in the southern 
kingdom he addressed his prophesies to the 
ruler, Jeroboam II, other officials, priests and 
the aristocratic classes of the northern king- 
dom. The discourses of Amos directed at the 
above mentioned classes carried so much con- 
viction and his indictments were so severe that 
the old priest at Bethel reporting the matter 
to the king, Jeroboam II said: ‘‘the land is 
not able to bear his words.”’ 


62 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


A new conception of Jehovah is enunciated 
by Amos in the very first part of his first dis- 
course. He denounces Syria for her treat- 
ment of Gilead: ‘‘because they have threshed 
Gilead with threshing instruments of iron.’’ 
Next he bitterly scores the Philistines, men- 
tioning the cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon 
and Akron pointing out the particular kind 
of wickedness each had been guilty of. He 
turns from Philistia to Tyre and vigorously 
condemns her for the betrayal of her people 
to Edom and for ‘‘not remembering the 
brotherly covenant.’’? In the same manner he 
arraigns Bozrah, Ammon, Moab, reserving 
Judah and Israel, especially the latter, for the 
chief objects of his denunciations. He ac- 
cuses Judah of lying and not keeping the 
statutes of Jehovah. He charges Israel with 
‘‘having sold the righteous for silver and the 
needy for a pair of shoes’’; of ‘‘making the 
ephah small and the shekel great’’; of their 
money lenders charging usurious interest; her 
rulers and princes with bribery, and her 
priests with deceit. He condemns the rich for 
their lives of luxury and indolence, for ‘‘lying 
on beds of ivory,’’ and ‘‘eating the calves from 
the stall’’; and above all, he denounces their 
worshiping pagan gods. Amos denies the very 
existence of the pagan gods, declaring they are 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 63 


not gods, but merely figures carved from 
wood, stone or brass. He declares there is no 
god except Jehovah. He declares him to be 
a god of Justice and that he will punish Syria, 
Philistia, Tyre, Bozrah, Ammon and Moab 
the same as he will Israel and Judah. He 
declares: ‘*I (Jehovah) hate, I despise your 
feasts, and I will take no delight in your 
solemn assemblies. Yea, though ye offer me 
your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will 
not accept them; neither will I regard the 
peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou 
away from me the noise of thy songs; for I 
will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let 
Justice roll down as waters, and righteousness 
as a mighty stream.”’ 

From the point of view of those times, the 
above must have sounded like very radical 
statements. The Israelitish nation always had 
claimed Jehovah exclusively for themselves. 
But while so doing they had recognized the 
existence of the pagan gods even though they 
denied the jurisdiction of them respecting 
themselves. Now for Amos, a layman to come 
along and repudiate all the deities of the 
pagan world and claim for Jehovah universal 
dominion, must have appeared to them bold 
statements. The universal jurisdiction of 
Jehovah and the quality of justice with which 


64 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Amos endowed him, marked the first and only 
real contributions to religious progress since 
the monotheistic conception of Abraham. It 
required more than fifteen hundred years for 
those ideas enunciated by Amos to develop 
and find expression. What a ‘‘modernist’’ 
Amos must have appeared to the people of his 
dav! It has been said of Amos that he had many 
followers, but no forerunners. The doctrines 
proclaimed by him, without exception, were 
accepted by all the subsequent prophets, both 
major and minor. While the adherents of the 
various world religious systems to-day may 
differ vastly in their deistic conceptions, they 
appear unanimous in the belief that the 
Creator, by whatever name he may be called, 
is universal in his rule. 


CHAPTER V 


As announced a few pages back, another 
prophet who made a distinct contribution to 
the religious progress of the Israelitish nation 
during this period was Hosea, the son of 
Beeri. Hosea was a native of the northern 
kingdom and his prophesies were addressed to 
both Israel and Judah. While it can not be 
claimed for the contribution made by Hosea 
that it is as outstanding and radical as that 
made by his contemporary, Amos, vet the new 
quality he ascribed to Jehovah was one that 
had not hitherto been associated with him, at 
least in the sense conceived of by Hosea. 

Hosea’s new point of view concerning 
Jehovah, no doubt grew out of his own 
domestic experiences. Hosea married a har- 
lot, who bore him three children. His wife 
failing to appreciate a kind husband and a 
good home and her duty to her children, re- 
peatedly lapsed into her former relationships. 
After each of her debauches her husband took 
her back and forgave her, because of his great 
love and pity for her. She ultimately sank 
so low that she fell into slavery. Hosea re- 

65 


66 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


deemed her by paying fifteen pieces of silver 
and a homer and half of barley. But he put 
her on probation before again resuming the 
marital state. 

Ina symbolhieal cliscourse reflestine intense 
emotion and passion, Hosea likens Israel and 
Judah to two harlots who have not kept their 
marriage vows with their husband, Jehovah. 
He points out how good Jehovah had been to 
them in the past. Everything they have and 
are they owe to him; yet they have not appre- 
ciated what he has done for them; and have 
been unfaithful to him in many ways. He © 
accuses them of playing the harlot by lapsing 
into idolatry; he scathingly arraigns the 
priests, rulers and princes of both kingdoms 
for being corrupt; he rebukes them for not 
seeing the calamity that was coming and for 
not averting it by repenting and turning to 
Jehovah; he chides them for placing con- 
fidence in, and for expecting help from Assyria 
and Hgypt. He says: ‘‘Israel is like a silly 
dove, without understanding; they call unto 
Keypt, they go to Assyria.’’ He predicts that 
when they do go, they will go as captives. 

Jchovah’s patience with Israel has been 
sorely tried. At times, when Jehovah thought 
Israel healed of his idolatry, he would disap- 
point him anew by his seduction of the pagan 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 67 


gvods and other forms of wickedness. At last 
there appears nothing else for Jehovah to do 
but to destroy him—remove Israel from before 
his face, leaving no sprout or root to remind 
him of Israel. Then Jehovah remembers 
Israel when he was just a baby nation in 
Canaan and Hgypt and how he rescued him 
from slavery and led him forth from Kgypt 
and restored him to the land of Canaan. No, 
he cannot destroy him: ‘‘When Israel was a 
child then I loved him, and called my son out 
of Egypt. How shall I give thee up Ephraim 
(Israel)? How shall I cast thee off Israel? 
How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall 
I set thee as Zeboiim? My heart is turned 
within me, my compassions are kindled to- 
gether. J will not execute the fierceness of 
mine anger. I will not return to destroy 
Ephraim: for I am God and not man; the 
Holy One in the midst of thee; and I will not 
come in my wrath.’’ 

Then Jehovah pleads with Israel to be good 
and to do good; to repent and to turn unto 
him, who will have merey upon him and 
pardon him. Jehovah promises to heal Israel 
of his desire to worship pagan gods; to make 
him satisfied with his own spouse and not want 
to play the harlot any more. While Jehovah 
in the past has some times been harsh, ‘‘hav- 


68 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


ing smitten’’ and ‘‘having torn,’’ now, ‘‘be 


will heal and bind him up.’’ Jehovah is going 
to save Israel from destruction if possible; 
but he is going to employ a different method 
from any used in the past. Jehovah is gomg 
to save Israel by the power of his infinite love 
and mercy, instead of by the bow and the 
sword. 

To the universal dominion and_ justice 
ascribed to Jehovah by Amos can be added the 
qualities of love and merey conceived of him 
by Hosea. Those qualities dimly recognizable 
in Jehovah before, suddenly become among 
the most characteristic and important. Here- 
tofore, Jehovah enforced obedience and con- 
formity to his edicts by venting his anger and 
manifesting his vindictiveness. Henceforth, 
he will accomplish his purposes by demon- 
strating the great power of his love and 
mercy. 

As stated in a former chapter, people in the 
earlier or formative stages of religious devel- 
opment, endow God with the same qualities 
and ideals they themselves possess. Hosea 
discovered the qualities of love and merey in 
his own home, prior to his recognition of them 
in Jehovah. He found that even if his wife 
did sin against him grossly and fail utterly in 
the keeping of her marriage vows, yet for all 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 69 


that, she was his wife and she was the mother 
of his children and he could not help loving 
and pitying her in spite of her lapses. He was 
consumed with a passion to rescue her and a 
burning spirit of forgiveness, no matter how 
great had been her transgression. 

The quality of love is without doubt one of 
the greatest with which a sentient being is en- 
dowed. Henry Drummond pronounced it the 
summum bonum. The Apostle Paul in the 
thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians places 
it above every other virtue and declares that a 
person is nothing, who does not possess it. It 
has its origin in a deep seated instinct and is 
capable of infinite development. The highest 
expression of it which we at present know, is 
altruism. 


CHAPTER VI 


THE next contributions to the progress of 
the Israelitish religion in their chronological 
order, are those of Jeremiah and Habakkuk, 
who were contemporaneous. ‘They prophesied 
at the end of the sixth period, the previous 
history of which, was recited in the last 
chapter. Their prophecies had to do with the 
events and conditions existing in the closing 
days of the kingdom of Judah. Because of 
the similarity of their doctrines respecting 
certain things and the fact that they were 
contemporaneous, they will be considered to- 
eether. 

The last remnant of the Israelitish nation, 
Judah, is now facing its final crisis before its 
complete extinction terminating in exile. An 
understanding of the international situation 
is needed at this point in order to make clear 
what was involved. A résumé of it concludes 
the history of the sixth period left unfinished 
in the last chapter. 

The great and powerful city of Nineveh, 
capitol of the Assyrian Empire, was captured 
by the Chaldeans in 606 B.c. As was customary 

70 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION (fal 


in those times, the leading citizens and arti- 
zans were deported and the walls of the city 
were razed and the city burned. Assyria for 
a long time had been the leading world power. 
She had preyed upon surrounding nations for 
over a hundred years. One by one she had 
seized the provinces of the northern kingdom, 
Israel. In 737 she had captured Damascus, 
the capitol of Syria. In 722 the siege of 
Samaria, the capital of Israel ended, and the 
complete subjugation of the northern king- 
dom was accomplished the ten tribes compos- 
ing it being deported. Now 116 years later, 
Assvria suffered the same fate at the hands 
of Chaldea she had accorded to others. 
Chaldea and Hgypt were now the two re- 
maining world powers whose interests con- 
flicted. Judah lay between them. Assyria out 
of the way, Necho, king of Egypt, saw an 
opportunity for seizing Syria, but in doing so 
it would be necessary for his armies to cross 
Judah. Josiah, king of Judah did not want 
him to cross and in order to prevent it decided 
to strike first. He was doubtless ill advised. 
That decision cost Judah her independence 
and Josiah his life. Josiah was killed at the 
battle of Megiddo and his son, Jehoahaz the 
hereditary heir to the throne succeeded him. 
Necho, king of Egypt removed him carrying 


72 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


him captive to Egypt and placed Jehoiakim 
on the throne of Judah. Once again after a 
lapse of over eight hundred and fifty years, a 
remnant of the Israelitish nation—while not 
exactly in bondage to Egypt—-was completely 
under her control. <A conflict between the two 
ereat rivals, Chaldea and Egypt, could not 
long be deferred. In 605 B.c. the two armies 
met in mighty conflict near Carchemish. Ne- 
buchadnezzer, king of Chaldea administered 
a decisive defeat to Necho and Judah ex- 
changed the yoke of Egypt for that of 
Chaldea. Nebuchadnezzar proceeded to con- 
solidate his victory. He invaded Judah and 
laid siege to Jerusalem. The city withstood 
the attack for over a year. The food of the 
city being exhausted, Zedekiah the king, his 
princes and all the men of war, made a breach 
in the wall between two of the gates and at- 
tempted to escape. They were overtaken by 
the Chaldean besiegers on the plains of Jericho. 
The army was seattered, Zedekiah the king 
captured and taken to Riblah and arraigned 
before Nebuchadnezzer, who speedily con- 
victed him. Zedekiah was punished by having 
his sons slain before his face and his own eyes 
put out, after which he was carried in chains 
to Babylon. The fall of Jerusalem imme- 
diately followed, crowds of Edomites cheering 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 73 


while the walls were being thrown down, the 
gates battered in and the city burned. The 
Temple was stripped of its gold and treasure, 
which were transported to Babylon. The in- 
habitants, who had survived the siege and not 
been killed in the attack, were deported to 
Babylonia. 

‘Those who live by the sword must eae 
by the sword.’’ Approximately eight hundred 
vears before, the Israelites under Joshua in- 
vaded the land of Canaan, wresting it from 
the natives they found there, the story of 
which is one of the cruelest in history. Like 
those she conquered, also Assyria and Kgypt 
‘that subjugated her, and in turn were de- 
stroyed by Chaldea, which seventy years later 
succumbed to Cyrus the Great, Israel passed 
out as she came in. 

This was the scene upon which our con- 
tributors, Jeremiah and Habakkuk entered. It 
was the very stormiest period in Israelitish 
history. Yet it appears that it is only out of 
ereat adversities that higher attainments are 
reached. It is alike true of individuals and 
nations. 

The writings of Jeremiah are too volumi- 
nous to examine in detail. Suffice to say that 
out of the strenuous circumstances of the 
times, Jeremiah’s conception of Jehovah was 


74 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


enlarged; a deeper insight of religion was 
revealed. ‘The new ideas of Jeremiah, though 
somewhat vaguely stated, embrace the notion 
that religion is an inward expression rather 
than an outward formality; the motives back 
of the actions of individuals and nations, is 
the criteria for determining their value. 
Veneration for the Ark, reverence for the 
Temple and the performance of elaborate 
ceremonies, were not necessarily indications 
of piety. Moreover, his ideas were those that 
could be exercised by the individual in any 
place, at any time, without the aid of ark, altar 
or temple. In short, it is the recognition of a 
spiritual consciousness within that is reflected 
in one’s actions, that really counts. The 
Israelites thought 1f they kept the T’emple 
open and performed the elaborate ceremonial 
rites connected with the Temple worship, that 
was the chief and vital thing. Notwithstand- 
ing the priests had been caught burning in- 
cense to the Queen of Heaven and there was 
an altar to Baal on almost every street corner 
in Jerusalem, and the people cheated, led, 
stole and took bribes, the Temple service ab- 
solved them. It was a case where the vehicle 
of expression overshadowed and had become 
more important than the burden it was in- 
vented to bear. It is not too much to suspect 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 75 


that it was to Jeremiah that Jesus was in- 
debted for his teaching, ‘‘the kingdom of God 
is within you.”’ 

From Jeremiah dates the conception of the 
real spiritual nature of man. By inference, 
introspection of one’s self is invited; by ascer- 
taining the character and attitude of the soul, 
only is one’s real self revealed. 


As has been stated, Habakkuk prophesied 
contemporaneously with Jeremiah. The polit- 
ical status of course is the same as has been 
recited. ‘The contribution to the religious 
progress of the Israelitish nation made by 
Habakkuk, is comprehended in a dramatic 
gem in which there are only two characters— 
Jehovah and himself. In the little drama of 
only three chapters is developed an idea that 
prior to that time had not been elaborated, 
although it is hinted at in the prophecies of 
Jeremiah, Habakkuk’s contemporary. 

Habakkuk sees Judah hastening to her 
doom just as Israel had done and he realizes 
that Chaldea her conqueror, is fully as wicked 
and corrupt as Judah and Israel ever were, 
yet withal Chaldea thus far has swept every- 
thing before her. It looks to him as if Judah 
would be the next nation to be swallowed by 
that irresistible foe, Habakkuk speaks: 


76 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


‘‘Q Jehovah, how long shall J cry, and thou wilt not 
hear? I ery out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not 
save. Why dost thou show me iniquity, and look upon 
perverseness? for destruction and violence are before 
me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up. There- 
fore the law is slacked, and justice doth never go forth; 
for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; there- 
fore justice goeth forth perverted. Thou that art of 
purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look 
on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that 
deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the 
wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous 
than he; and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the 
creeping things, that have no ruler over them? He tak- 
eth up all of them with the angle, he catcheth them in 
his net, and gathereth them in his drag: therefore he 
rejoiceth and is glad. Therefore he sacrificeth unto his 
net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because by them 
his portion is fat, and his food plenteous. Shall he there- 
fore empty his net, and spare not to slay the nations 
continually? I will stand upon my watch, and set me 
upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will 
vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may 
complaint.’’ 


Jehovah speaks: 


‘‘And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the 
vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may 
run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for the ap- 
pointed time, and it hasteneth toward the end, and shall 
not he: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely 
come, it will not delay. 

‘‘Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 77 


marvelously ; for I am working a work in your days, 
which ye will not believe though it be told you. For, 
lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, 
that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess 
dwelling-places that are not theirs. They are terrible 
and dreadful; their judgment and dignity proceed from 
themselves. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, 
and are more fierce than the evening wolves; and their 
horsemen press proudly on: yea, their horsemen come 
from far; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour. 
They come all of them for violence; the set of their 
faces is forwards; and they gather captives as the sand. 
Yea, he seoffeth at kings, and prinees are a derision unto 
him; he derideth every stronghold; for he heapeth up 
dust, and taketh it. Then shall he sweep by as a wind, 
and shall pass over, and be guilty, even he whose might 
is his god.’’ 


Habakkuk speaks: 


‘‘Art not thou from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, 
my Holy One? We shall not die. O Jehovah, thou has 
ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast 
established him for correction.’ 


The dawn of the idea in Habakkuk’s mind 
that Jehovah employed the forces of evil to 
accomplish his ends, was the answer to a ques- 
tion that had been recently engaging their 
minds. The contribution of Habakkuk to the 
religious progress of the Israelitish nation 
supplied the answer. 

With the contributions made by Jeremiah 


78 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


and Habakkuk, we pass from the sixth to the 
seventh period of the Israelites historical de- 
velopment—the period of the captivity. In it 
there is to consider the product of only one 
person’s contribution to the religious progress 
of that nation and the last one under the Old 
Dispensation. 


CHAPTER VII 


THE Israelites, who from the time of the 
exile were called Jews, are now captives in 
Chaldea in the province of Babylonia, where 
they have been for forty-eight years. Of 
course the first contingent that was carried 
away when King Jehoahaz was deposed, have 
been there ten years longer. ‘'here is a 
prospect of delivery. Word has reached them 
of the sweeping victories that have attended 
the conquest of the Persian potentate, Cyrus 
the Great. He subjugates the Chaldean prov- 
inces as fast as he comes to them. He wrests 
Babylon from Belshazzar almost without a 
struggle. He is haled by the Jewish leaders 
as their savior. In keeping with the Jewish 
expectations, Cyrus issues an emancipation 
proclamation freeing the Jews and permitting 
them to go back to Judah, their native coun- 
trv. Notwithstanding the Jewish leaders had 
looked forward with great delight to the 
prospect of freedom by Cyrus, strange as it 
mav seem, when the edict of Cyrus was pro- 
claimed, many Jews were reluctant to take 

79 


80 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


advantage of the opportunity. Of course there 
were obvious reasons for such being the case. 
Certain classes among them had adapted 
themselves to the customs and conditions of 
that country and were fairly well satisfied. 
Some, no doubt were doing better in a busi- 
hess way than they had been able to do back 
home. Naturally the younger element, who 
had been born in Babylonia, would be the most 
apt to be satisfied and less disposed to leave, 
because they had never seen or lived in Judah. 
They cherished no memories of that country, 
such as their parents did. The class that 
would be most disposed to accept the ofter 
would be the older people, who were homesick 
and longed to see Zion. They remembered 
vividly the homes they had left behind, their 
lands and other possessions and the sepul- 
chres of their relatives and friends. How- 
ever, many of this class were old and broken 
in health and felt themselves scarcely able to 
make the journey. Others were discouraged 
and disheartened. No doubt they remembered 
the hardships they endured when they were 
driven like cattle the more than six-hundred- 
mile journey from Jerusalem to Babylonia at 
the time of their exile. They could well 
imagine the difficulty of such a journey even 
under favorable conditions. It may not be so 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 81 


strange after all that many were indifferent 
and hard to arouse from their lethargy. 
Thirteen years elapsed from the time of their 
emancipation, until Zerubbabel led his com- 
pany of fifty thousand together with their 
servants and animals back to Judah. When 
the distance, and the problem of feeding that 
many people and their beasts en route is con- 
sidered, it being of course necessary to find 
most of their provender along the way (a task 
difficult enough even in this day), it would 
appear almost insuperable at that time. The 
trek of the ‘*forty niners’’ from the middle- 
west to California and Oregon as depicted 
by Mr. Emerson Hough in the ‘‘Covered 
Wagon,’’ was not nearly so great an under- 
taking as the Jewish return from captivity. 
The foregoing furnishes the setting for the 
next and last contributor to the religious prog- 
ress of the Jewish nation—one who was most 
eloquent in persuading his countrvmen to take 
advantage of the opportunity Cyrus had 
afforded them. This prophet is probably the 
most fluent and assuredly the most optimistic 
writer discoverable in the Old Testament. His 
writings embrace those in the book of Isaiah 
from the fortieth to the fifty-fifth chapters 
inclusive. While they are included in the book 
of Isaiah, it is conceded they were not written 


82 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


by the prophet of that name; because the 
prophet Isaiah lived and prophesied during 
the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, who 
ruled from 727 B.c. to 698 B.c.—one hundred 
and sixty years earlier. It is readily seen that 
he could not have known of Cyrus the Great, 
because at that time he had not been born; 
neither could he have had any knowledge of 
the events, which this later writer mentions in 
a specific manner. The name of our con- 
tributor, who wrote the fifteen chapters of the 
book of Isaiah alluded to above, is unknown; 
and how this author’s writings came to be in- 
cluded in those of another, is likewise unex- 
plained. Notwithstanding, such is the case 
and for the sake of convenience and distine- 
tion, some scholars have designated him, the 
Second Isaiah, but only because the real 
author’s name has not come down to us. 

In the very first sentence of his first dis- 
course he encourages the disheartened people 
with these words: 


‘‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and ery unto her, 
that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is 
pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah’s hand dou- 
ble for all her sins. 

‘*O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up 
on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 83 


Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength ; litte step; 
be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your 
God!’’ 


Again: 


‘* Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on 
thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for 
henceforth there shall no more come in to thee the un- 
circumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the 
dust; arise, sit on thy throne, O Jerusalem: loose thy- 
self from the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of 
Zion. How: beautiful upon the mountains are the feet 
of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, 
that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth sal- 
vation, that sayeth unto Zion, thy God reigneth! The 
voice of thy watchmen! they lift up the voice, together 
do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Jehovah 
returneth to Zion. Break forth into Joy, sing together, 
ye waste places of Jerusalem; for Jehovah hath com- 
forted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. Jehovah 
hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the na- 
tions; and all the ends of the earth hath seen the salva- 
tion of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from 
thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst 
of her; cleanse yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of 
Jehovah. For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall 
ye go by flight: for Jehovah will go before you; and the 
God of Israel will be your rearward.’’ 


The foregoing quotations are given from 
our contributor, to illustrate the optimism 
and eloquence this writer displayed, as well as 
the influence he exerted upon his countrymen 


84 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


to take advantage of Cyrus’s decree. Not only 
is his language optimistic, and beautiful, but 
his thought is inspiring as well. It is the lat- 
ter, which distinguishes him as a contributor 
to the religious progress of the Jewish reli- 
gion. His conception of the deity, as enun- 
ciated in the fortieth chapter of the book of 
Isaiah, is that of no barbarian, but of a full 
fledged civilized man. No former conception 
of Jehovah approached so nearly the philos- 
ophic. No prior notion of God embraced so 
broad a scope and contained such depth of 
meaning. It is embraced in the following 
quotation from that author and the reader 
may judge for himself as to its depth and 
originality. 

‘“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his 
hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and compre- 
hended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed 
the mountains in seales, and the hills in a balance? Who 
hath directed the spirit of Jehovah, or being his coun- 
selor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, 
and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of 
justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the 
way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a 
drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of 
the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little 
thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the 
beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All the 
nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by 
him as less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 85 


will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto 
him? The image, a workman hath east it, and the gold- 
smith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver 
chains. He that is too impoverished for such an oblation 
chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a 
skilful workman to set up a graven image, that shall 
not be moved. Hath ye not known? Have ye not heard? 
Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have 
ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? 
It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and 
the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that 
stretchest out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth 
them out as a tent to dwell in; that bringeth princes to 
nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. 

‘“Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not 
been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the 
earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, 
and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble. To 
whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to 
him? sayeth the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, 
and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their 
host by number; he ealleth them all by name; by 
the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong 
in power, not one is lacking. Why sayest thou, O 
Jacob, and speaketh, O Israel, My way is hid from 
Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away 
from God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? 
The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends 
of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no 
searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the 
faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth 
strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, 
and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait 
for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount 


86 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be 
weary ; they shall walk, and not faint.’’ 


When one contrasts the foregoing concep- 
tion of Jehovah with those of the patriarchs, 
one cannot but note the incomparably higher 
notion of the Second Isaiah over those of the 
early Hebrews. How childlike was that of 
Abraham’s and the early patriarch’s in com- 
parison! The contribution to the religious 
progress of the Israelitish, or Jewish religion 
—as it was then called—made by the Second 
Isaiah, was a fitting climax to the series of 
contributions made by Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah 
and Habakkuk. Their productions formed a 
considerable portion of the basis for the New 
Dispensation founded by Jesus. It was the 
erystallization of the doctrines expressed by 
these men that made possible the New Cove- 
nant. Not that these doctrines had any stand- 
ing with the ecclesiastics of the Jewish nation ; 
nor did they form any part of the Torah of 
that nation’s religion, but rather were the out- 
growth of it. With the exception of two or 
three, the voluntary prophets had little or no 
standing with the rulers and _ priesthood. 
Neither were they any more popular with the 
people generally. It was not until after the 
Christian Era, when the soundness of their 
views had been determined and generally ac- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 87 


cepted, were they considered sufficiently meri- 
torious and authoritative to incorporate in the 
Old Testament canon. 

It is interesting to note that no contribution 
to the religious progress of that nation was 
made by any other class during the twenty-five 
hundred years from Abraham to the Christian 
ra. The rulers made none, neither did the 
priesthood, who above all others, might have 
been expected to do so. Possibly those classes 
were too close to the situation to discern the 
weaknesses and needs of the system. It re- 
mained for a detached class of individuals— 
laymen, or voluntary prophets, who belonged 
to the system, but were not of it—to point the 
way of religious progress for future genera- 
tions. 

Moreover, it is of further interest to observe 
that no step of religious progress was taken 
by the Israelites while they were a conquer- 
ing nation. Progress was made only when she 
was fighting to maintain her very existence as 
a nation and after the nation had gone into 
exile. With nations, as with individuals, ad- 
versity appears often to be a blessing in dis- 
eulse. 

To summarize briefly, what did the Hebrew 
people, or the Israelitish nation contribute to 
civilization and religious development? With- 


88 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


out question that people and nation have 
exerted an influence on the thought and life 
of the world attained by no other nation or 
people—an influence out of all proportion to 
its size and importance. In the first place: it 
gave to the world the monotheistic conception 
of deity—a conception, the world thus far has 
not outgrown. In the second place: 1t gave to 
the world the Ten Commandments and along 
with them the most advanced code of morals 
and ethies existing prior to the Christian Era. 
Indeed, for the most part they have never 
been improved upon. They form the basis of 
most of the jurisprudence of the civilized 
world at the present time. In the third place: 
some of the greatest personages that have ever 
lived, viewed from the standpoint of accom- 
plishment and the influence they exerted, be- 
longed to that nation. There were Abraham, 
Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, 
Habakkuk, the second Isaiah, Jesus Christ and 
John the Baptist. They are men whose 
achievements have stood the test of time; their 
names are household words after a lapse of 
hundreds and even thousands of years. In the 
fourth place: they supphed the world with a 
ereat literature that to-day in many respects 
is unsurpassed. The history of the Jewish 
nation comprehends in its literature the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 89 


sources of information of much that we know 
about the history of civilization. 

Viewing the religion of the Hebrew race 
from an eminence of over nineteen hundred 
years, 1t 1s easy to see where it» was de- 
ficient and where its leaders made mistakes. 
But it should be remembered it was in process 
of development and, on the whole, it was mov- 
ing forwards. At its highest attainment it 
reached only to the national stage. It was a 
religion solely for that nation, that people, 
that time, and this world. They were not in- 
terested in getting the people of other nations 
to accept and recognize Jehovah. In fact they 
did not want them to do so; because they 
selfishly claimed him exclusively for them- 
selves. Neither did they wish to amalgamate 
with other nations. Intermarrying with the 
people of other nations was expressly frowned 
upon and forbidden. Nor were the Israelites 
concerned about the next world or a future 
life. When a person died, ‘‘he was gathered 
to his fathers’’; or, when a ruler died, ‘‘he was 
buried in the tombs of the kings of Israel,”’ 
or some such statement. Nevertheless, to the 
religion, great characters, the hterature, gov- 
ernment and institutions of the Israelitish 
nation, are we indebted for much of the civi- 
lization we enjoy to-day. 





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THE NEW DISPENSATION 





CHAR AIBESVLEL 
Tort NEw DISPENSATION 


HAvinG traced the steps of religious prog- 
ress of the Hebrew people, or Israelitish na- 
tion from its earliest history to the Christian 
ira, which marks a new epoch in religious 
development, it is now the task to consider the 
fundamental doctrines and principles under- 
lying the New Covenant. Moreover, it is 
necessary to note points of difference existing 
between the two dispensations. Before doing 
so however, a brief review of the political his- 
torical background, from the end of the cap- 
tivity to the beginning of the Christian Era 
needs to be supplied, in order to bring our last 
political survey down to that point, as well as 
furnish the reader with the setting in which 
the New Covenant originated. | 

Approximately 525 years intervened from 
the time the Jews were freed by Cyrus, to the 
birth of Jesus. During that period they had 
a checkered career. More than half the space 

93 


94 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


intervening is known as, ‘‘the period between 
the Testaments.’’ There being no canonical 
books in the Bible which deal particularly 
with this period, it is necessary to obtain In- 
formation concerning it from the apocryphal 
books, especially those of the First and Second 
Maccabees and secular sources. 

The company of fifty thousand exiles led 
back to Judaea* by Zerubbabel in 526 B.c. and 
the seventeen hundred and fifty-four, who re- 
turned with Ezra in 458, experienced many 
hardships and much adversity after they 
arrived in their native land. The first com- 
pany, with Zerubbabel still their leader, laid 
the foundations for the new temple in 520 B.c. 
but owing to interference by the Samaritan | 
settlers, it was not completed until 516 B.c. 
The difficulties attendant on re-establishing 
themselves in the land were almost insuper- 
able. Not only were they annoyed and 
hindered by the Samaritans, but they had to 
contend with drouths, plagues of locusts and ~ 
other difficulties. They became greatly dis- 
couraged. One of their number, Nehemiah a 
representative Jew, who was still in Babylon 
Serving in the capacity as cup-bearer to the 
King, Artaxerxes, obtained permission from 


1'The spelling commonly used to designate the former kingdoms 
of Judah and Israel from the end of the exile to the death of 
Herod the Great when the name Palestine applied. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 95 


his master to return to Judaea to assist his 
people. Through Nehemiah’s words of cheer 
and advice, their morale was strengthened, 
and under his leadership the rebuilding of 
the wall around Jerusalem was undertaken. 
Working with their weapons close at hand and 
with others of their number standing guard 
to ward off attack by the Samaritans, the feat 
was completed in fifty days. In 434:B.c. after 
having remained in Judaea ten years, Ne- 
hemiah returned to Babylon. 'T’wo years later 
with a commission as governor general of 
Judaea from King Artaxerxes, he returned. 
Nehemiah and the two prophets of this period, 
Zechariah and Haggai, had the effect of 
greatly encouraging the Jews and retrieving 
them from the despondency and hopelessness 
into which they had fallen. 

Judaea being a dependency of Persia, the 
fortunes of the Jews fluctuated with those of 
that country and its successors. In 330 B.c., 
Darius, king of Persia, was defeated by Alex- 
ander the Great at Arabela and Darius was 
assassinated. Alexander himself died in Baby- 
lon only seven years later. He left no heirs 
—his only son being born after his death. 
Alexander’s generals rivaled each other as his 
successor. In the course of this contest, Syria 
and EHgypt regained their independence. ‘The 


96 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Seleucid rulers of Syria had their capital at 
Antioch and the Ptolemy rulers of Egypt had 
theirs at Alexandria. The Seleucid Dynasty 
lasted from 312 B.c. to 66 B.c.—a period of 246 
years, when it became a province of Rome. 
The Ptolemy Dynasty of Egypt lasted from 
323 B.C. to 30 B.c.—a period of 293 years, when 
it hkewise became a Roman province. 
Judaea lay between those two kingdoms and 
for three centuries was the object of their 
conquests. She first fell under the dominion 
of Egypt, but in 203 B.c., Antiochus the Great, 
succeeded in wresting her from Kgypt. Judaea 
now under Syrian rule, continued to be gov- 
erned by the Seleucids until 165 B.c., when she 
succeeded in throwing off the Syrian yoke and 
practically gaining her independence. It came 
about in this way: Antiochus Epiphanes, king 
of Syria at that time, had an ambition to 
Hellenize the Jews. He overran Jerusalem 
and ordered pagan rites substituted for Jewish 
rites. Moreover, he decreed a sacrifice should 
be made to Zeus on the altar in the Temple. 
The aged Jewish priest, Mattathias ignored 
the edict, slew the royal messenger and de- 
stroyed the altar. He then fled with his five 
sons to the mountainous part of the country 
and stirred up a revolt. The story of Mac- 
cabean courage and martyrdom is one of the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 97 


most compelling of its kind. Two years after 
the flight of Mattathias and his family into 
the mountains, he died and Judas, his third 
son, became leader. His skill as a leader 
coupled with the religious fervor character- 
istic of the family, enabled him to defeat three 
Syrian generals in succession. In 165 he drove 
the Syrians out of Jerusalem and reconse- 
crated the T'emple-to Jehovah. In 162 B.c. 
Lysias, the Syrian regent, granted religious © 
freedom to the Jews. Judas Maccabeus de- 
cided to fight for political independence. <A 
year later, he defeated Demetrius I (Soter) 
at Adasa, but shortly afterwards, Judas was 
killed while resisting Baecchides, who had a 
greatly superior force. 

At the death of Judas Maccabeus in 161, his 
brother Jonathan succeeded to the leadership. 
Owing to the existence of civil strife in Syria, 
Jonathan’s rule continued without annoyance 
until his death in 144 B.c.—ruling seventeen 
vears. His brother Simon, who was the last 
surviving son of Mattathias, mherited the— 
rule. 

Simon Maceabeus upon succeeding to the 
rulership of Judaea sided with Demetrius II 
in his quarrel with Tryphon, thereby incurring 
the ill will of Tryphon. Owing to greater 
ability and astuteness, he outgeneraled Try- 


98 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


phon and procured the evacuation of Jerusa- 
lem in which the Syrians had regained a foot 
held, and won nominal independence for 
Judaea. Once more, after a lapse of a little 
more than four hundred years, Judaea was 
again and for the last time, an independent 
nation. 

In 141 Simon had been chosen by his people, 
high priest, which together with the office of 
ruler, made his authority supreme. With 
Simon Maccabeus, properly begins the Has- 
monean Dynasty. The name Hasmonean, is 
traced to an ancestor of the house Asmonaios, 
who was reputed to be the grandfather of 
Mattathias. Simon’s reign lasted nineteen 
years. He developed the resources of the 
country and the land enjoyed a fair degree of 
prosperity. The country was favored also by 
a rather protracted period of peace. It was 
in the last two years of Simon’s reign that this 
peace was interrupted. The son-in-law of 
Simon in order to gain control of Judaea for 
himself, murdered Simon and two of his sons, 
but his third son, John Hyrean escaped and 
succeeded to the rulership. He reigned for 
thirty years witha great deal of success. Par- 
tizan strife between two politico-religious par- 
ties, the Pharisees and Sadducees, greatly 
weakened the power of this ruler. (This is 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 99 


the first time in the history of the Jews that 
reference is made to these sects.) John Hyr- 
can destroyed the pagan temple that had been 
built on Mt. Gerizim and annexed the province 
of Idumaea and Samaria. 

Upon the death of John Hyrean in 105 B.O., 
his eldest son, Aristobulus inherited He 
throne, but ruled for only one year, when he 
was succeeded by his brother, Alexander Jan- 
naeus, who ruled Judaea for twenty-six years 
—from 104 B.c. to 78 B.c. His rule was char- 
acterized by ability and the country was pros- 
perous. There was, however, considerable 
wrangling between the sects of the Pharisees 
and Sadducees. He belonged to the Sadducees. 
Once, when performing the duties connected 
with the office of high priest, a group of 
Pharisees threw a quantity of citrons that had 
been provided for the sacrifice at him and a 
eroup of Sadducees. Thoroughly incensed by 
the insult, with the aid of his troops, he de- 
stroyed six thousand of the Pharisees. 

Alexander Jannzus was succeeded as ruler 
by his wife, Alexandra, who reigned from 78 
B.c. to 69 B.c. She was more peace loving than 
her husband and succeeded in reconciling the 
Pharisee and Sadducee sects, although she 
favored the Pharisees. The country was 
fairly prosperous during her reign. Her 


100 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


eldest son, John Hyrean II, although lacking 
ability was made high-priest during her ré- 
gime. The younger son, Aristobulus, who was 
stronger and abler, coveted the rulership, and 
upon the death of his mother, Alexandra, 
raised an army for the purpose of seizing the 
reins of government. John Hyrean II in the 
face of this showing voluntarily relinquished 
the throne in favor of his brother, At this 
point, Antipater of Idumaea (a province of 
Judaea) brought the matter to the attention 
of Pompey, a member of the Roman Trium- 
virate. Pompey took Jerusalem, desecrated 
the ‘Temple, but reinstated John Hyrean II as 
high priest and carried Aristobulus captive to 
Rome. Shortly afterwards, Aristobulus es- 
caped and renewed the contest with his 
brother. The Roman general Gabinius was 
sent to settle the matter. He deposed John 
Hyrean II. However, one year later, in 47 
B.c., he was restored by Julius Caesar because 
he had aided him in his war with Egypt the 
previous year. The same year, Antipater, the 
Idumaean and the father of Herod, was ap- 
pointed procurator of Judaea, which by now 
was completely under the Roman yoke. 

In the year 40 B.c., John Hyrean II was 
deposed as high priest by Antigonus his 
nephew, son of Aristobulus, who was the last 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 101 


of the line of Asmonean princes and priests. 
Three years later, in 37 B.c., Herod the Great 
with the aid of Mark Antony, obtained the 
procuratorship and took unto himself the 
title, ‘*The King of the Jews.’’ He took pos- 
session of Jerusalem and slew Antigonus, the 
high priest. Herod sought to reconcile the 
Jews to him by marrying Mariamne, the 
eranddaughter of John Hyrean II. That pro- 
ject did not prove satisfactory, for in 31 B.c., 
he had her grandfather executed and two years 
later, Mariamne also. 

Augustus Octavius upon becoming emperor 
of Rome, greatly increased Herod’s power and 
extended his territory. Herod was noted for 
his -extravagant building projects and im- 
provements throughout the country. He re- 
stored and beautified the Temple at Jerusalem. 
He rebuilt the temple at Samaria and erected 
a pagan temple at Caesarea. His rule was 
marked with extreme cruelty. Not only did 
he have his wife and her grandfather put to 
death, but his two sons, Aristobulus and Alex- 
ander also and only five days before his own 
death, Antipater, his eldest son. At his death, 
his jurisdiction was divided among his three 
remaining sons. Archelaus was made tetrarch 
of Judaea; Herod Antipas of Galilee and 
Perea; and Phillip of north eastern Palestine. 


102 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Such were the kaleidoscopic scenes partici- 
pated in by the Jews from the return from 
exile to the birth of Jesus. Rome was now the 
greatest world power. It was under the 
dominion of Rome that Christianity was born, 
Palestine at that time being a Roman province. 
Rome has influenced Christianity probably 
more than any other nation. Krom indiffer- 
ence to persecution, next adopting it as her 
state religion, for centuries she has been a 
most zealous devotee and one of the most faith- 
ful guardians of the world’s largest religious 
system. It is doubtful if Christianity in its 
competition with Mithraism, would have sur- 
vived, had it not been for the advantage it 
gained upon being chosen by the Emperor 
Constantine as the official religion of that 
powerful empire. 


CHAPTER IX 


Iv is assumed that the reader is familiar 
with the meager biographies of Jesus and 
John the Baptist that are to be found in the 
four gospels. Outside of those narratives 
there is no historical information discoverable 
concerning either of them. However, that 
does not preclude our knowing something 
more of their lives even though it may not be 
contained in the gospel accounts. heir teach- 
ings and doctrines reflect influences exerted 
on them by others, which, while unstated in 
narrative, supply information regarding them 
that can be read between the lines. Indeed, 
the matter supplied by inferences from their 
teachings concerning themselves probably ex- 
ceeds that contained in the direct statements 
of the gospels. 

In the first place, it should be remembered 
that Jesus and John were Jews and Judaism 
was their religion. They belong in the same 
eategory as the several voluntary prophets, to 
whom we have already alluded in former 
chapters. Like those prophets, Jesus and John 

103 


104 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


belonged to the Old Dispensation, but were not 
of it. They did not fit into it. 

The parents of Jesus had no connection 
with the ecclesiastical machinery. They were 
obscure, humble citizens, similar to several 
others of the prophets whose writings are to 
be found in the canon of the Bible. Jesus, 
prior to his ministry, like his father Joseph, 
was a layman and a carpenter by occupation. 
He performed none of the rites and ceremonies 
connected with the synagogue and temple wor- 
ship so far as is known. The only thing that 
even remotely suggests any duties of that kind 
prior to his ministry, was when he read the 
scriptures, ‘‘as his custom was’’ in the syna- 
gogue at Nazareth his native village. In doing 
so he was not necessarily an official of the 
clergy. The probabilities are that he was 
called upon to perform that task because he 
could read fluently the rolls upon which the 
scriptures at that time were written. 

It was somewhat different with John the 
Baptist. Zachariah, the father of John the 
Baptist, was a priest. Both the parents of 
Jesus and John probably belonged to the 
Pharisee sect. These facts show the intimate 
eonnection they sustained to the order, even 
though their ministries were in direct-opposi- 
tion to it. Somehow John and Jesus had ob- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 105 


tained a new and different point of view. 
Their ministries show rebellion against the 
emptiness and the lack of vitality of the Old 
Order. They belonged to Judaism, but were 
not of it, or were not in sympathy with the 
system. rom their subsequent teachings, one 
strongly suspects both Jesus and John of hav- 
ing taken advantage of the policy of the 
Roman government, which was in effect at 
that time of extending the use and facilities 
of the great libraries at Alexandria to scholars 
of other countries besides its own. Rome sup- 
ported students—at least in part—who came 
to study at Alexandria in order to promote an 
exchange of ideas among the nations. How 
eager two precocious young men like Jesus 
and John would be to avail themselves of such 
an opportunity! Besides, being cousins, it 
would be natural for them to go together, and 
too, Alexandria was not far removed. At 
Alexandria they would not only meet Roman 
and Jewish scholars, but those from India, 
Egypt, Greece, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Persia 
and other countries. How interesting it would 
be to Jesus and John to talk with a student 
of India and listen to an explanation of 
Brahmanism; or to converse with a student of 
Greece and hear his interpretations of Grecian 
philosophies; or again, to hear from the lips 


106 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


of Egyptian scholars the stories of Isis, Osiris 
and Horus and the different functions they 
perform; to use only one more illustration, to 
be fascinated by the captivating doctrine of 
dualism contained in the Avesta of Zoroas- 
trianism as explained by some Persian 
scholars! 

Whether Jesus and John—or Jesus alone— 
spent a part of the period from the time they 
were twelve years old until they began their 
ministries at Alexandria under such condi- 
tions as have been suggested and known to 
have existed, of course is not definitely known; 
but this much is certain, they must have come 
in close contact with representatives or litera- 
tures of each and all of the aforementioned 
religions and schools of thought, because they 
are reflected in their teachings. We are quick 
to point out and eredit ourselves with the in- 
fluence our doctrines and institutions have had 
on outside peoples, but we are usually re- 
luctant and slow to admit the influence exerted 
by others upon us in return. In former 
chapters we have seen the influence of the 
pagan nations on Judaism throughout its 
entire history. Influence of contemporaneous 
religions and schools of thought on Christian- 
ity are likewise detected in an impartial study 
of that system. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 107 


The joint use of the names, Jesus and John 
is done advisedly, because there are consider- 
able grounds for suspecting they collaborated 
in the formulation of the new philosophy of 
religion, styled by each, ‘‘the kingdom of 
heaven.’’ That will not seem so strange when 
it is remembered that they were cousins and 
that their families might be expected to ex- 
change occasional visits. Besides the two boys 
were within a few months of the same age, 
John being slightly the older. Moreover, it 
will be remembered that it was John and not 
Jesus who first announced the new ‘‘kingdom 
of heaven’’ religion. In his very first an- 
nouncement, John proclaimed: 


‘‘There cometh after me he that is mightier than I, 
the latechet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop 
down and unloose. I baptize you in water; but he shall 
baptize you in the Holy Spirit.’’ 


The foregoing shows there must have been at 
least an understanding between John and 
Jesus, because up to that time, Jesus had not 
made any announcement. No doubt the forty 
days spent by each in the wilderness, although 
at separate times, were employed by them in 
assimilating new ideas, from whatever source 
obtained, and in formulating their new sys- 
tem, Furthermore, the habit of retiring into 


108 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


a wilderness or desert to meditate was common 
in those days. The Apostle Paul after his con- 
version to this new system later on, withdrew 
into Arabia for a much longer period for the 
same purpose. 

Shortly after Jesus emerged from the 
wilderness, while reading the scripture lesson 
on the Sabbath day in the synagogue at 
Nazareth, his native village, he calmly an- 
nounced that he was the Messiah, to whom the 
prophet Isaiah alluded in the scripture he had 
just read to them. His announcement was 
received not only with surprise, but with hos- 
tility, by those of the congregation; for they 
chased him out of the village. Thus was 
launched the new religious system of Jesus 
and John, the doctrines and principles of 
which, are disclosed in their teachings and 
declarations. Since their teachings, up to the 
time John was executed by Herod, were almost 
identical, the suspicion that they had studied 
the religions of other nations and collaborated 
in the formulation of a new one, is rendered 
more probable. 

In studying the doctrines and teachings of 
the New Testament the mistake is often made 
of considering them in detachments, instead 
of viewing them as a whole. In the imme- 
diately following chapters an attempt will be 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 109 


made to analyze the teachings and doctrines 
embraced in the new philosophy of religion, 
the ‘‘kingdom of heaven’’ as enunciated by 
Jesus and John; to ascertain their origins, 
examine briefly their history and point out 
their functions in the economy of that new 
system. In doing so, the aim will be to banish 
partiality and prejudice as far as it is possible 
to do so. Our purpose will be to examine the 
facts Just as we find them and draw conclu- 
sions and inferences therefrom just as if we 
were examining the data of a subject we had 
never heard of before. To do that consistently 
is a difficult undertaking. Whether or not we 
shall be able satisfactorily to accomplish that 
task, remains to be seen. But whether we are 
or not, of this much we are convinced, that 
such a method is the only one by which to gage 
and accurately determine the worth and value 
of the system. 


CHAPTER TX 


By referring to the charts on page 106, 
the reader will find three diagrams. A 
study of Figure I will disclose that this new 
philosophy of religion enunciated by Jesus 
and John the Baptist is predicated upon two 
principles: (@) a tri-une God and (vb) a new 
moral and ethical code. Jesus’s conception of 
Deity is, God, the Father, Himself, the Son, 
and the Holy Ghost, or spirit, the latter 
emanating either from God, the Father, or 
from the Father and Son jointly—a matter 
not entirely clear and which has been the sub- 
ject of much bitter controversy. 

It will be seen from the diagram that his 
conception of the Deity is not original, except 
in respect to the names given to the different 
parts and some of the functions those members 
of the Deity perform. It is observed that 
Brahmanism, or Hinduism, had a tri-une 
deistic conception also. The Brahmans con- 
ceive of the deity as Brahma, the Creator, 
Vishnu, the Preserver, and Siva, the De- 
stroyer. Not dissimilar to God, the Father, 

110 


111 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Iajsvo10oz7—osy oatjdutapey (@) 


UB FO pooysoyyorg (”) sopoy [Boryi” pue [BLOW MON 


4d 8 —totpootinsoy (Pp) 


kydosooy,,—ysoyy ATOH (2) ysoyy APOHL (9) uaAReHT JO WOpsuTy, YL, 
queweysoy, PlIO—}Uewou0yW (q) | SoutIqo0q wog (q) 7 Poy eun-LLY, 
WstInpulf{ 10 Taye () TIT o1nsiy 


Aydosooyy, (2) | 


snioy (2) ysoyy ATOH (9) | UaAvOFT FO WOpPsuTy OUL 
stisQ (4) uviydisg uog (9); POH CU TLL 
sist (2) Oye T (v) | | II o1nsty 
Sepop [Voy pus [BLOW MON 
rgkOIjsoq—PBsatg (2) 
JaAlosoIg-——nuystA (@) (ostepeti) (quidg) ysoyy APH () WoAvaFT JO Wopsury oy, 


WSTUBULYRIg wog (qQ) 4 poy oun-1ly, 


1oJvaig—evuyeig (D) 
oye (Y) J oInsty 


112 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


are the attributes ascribed to Brahma. Out 
of the extreme universal deluge of waters, was 
Brahma, the creator of all things, himself 
created. The Universe, before undiscerned, 
became manifest through him alone existent. 
Brahma by the mere exercise of his will 
created all things out of his own substance. 
He created the waters by meditation. 

The analogy existing between the tri-une 
deistic conception of Brahmanism, or Hindu- 
ism and that of Jesus is even greater, when 
the second person in the god-head, is con- 
sidered. Vishnu, incarnated by Brahma not 
only performs the function of preserver, but 
that of savior also. He is repeatedly reincar- 
nated in human form, in order that he may 
deliver the people from the oppression of some 
wicked ruler or evil influence. His function 
is to keep the world restored to virtue. This 
is seen to be very analogous to the function of 
the Son in the tri-une conception of Jesus. 

Nor is the analogy lacking between the third 
persons of the two god-heads. While Siva in 
the Brahman trinity is conceived of as the 
destroyer, in reality, his function is to destroy 
sin and the unrealities and ulusions of life and 
to direct the soul of man to its objective. How 
similar in its function, is that of the Holy 
Ghost as conceived by Jesus. In the fourteenth 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 113 


chapter and twenty-sixth verse of John he 
Says: 


‘‘But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the 
Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all 
things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said 
unto you.’’ 


again in John, chapter 20, v 22-23: 


‘‘And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and 
sayeth unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: Whose 
soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; 
whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.’’ 


Is not the agency of the Holy Ghost to enable 
the soul of man to attain its objective? Sin, 
according to Jesus, is the obstacle that stands 
between man and salvation. 

Nor does Brahmanism or Hinduism furnish 
the only counterpart of the tri-une deistic con- 
ception of Jesus. By referring to Figure II 
OLesthe tchart on page 106; it will’ be 
seen that the Egyptian religion likewise had 
a trinitarian deistic conception. Out of a 
pantheon comprehending innumerable deities, 
a trinity of three, Isis, Osiris and Horus con- 
stituted the head of a hierarchy. Intimately 
related and each charged with the perform- 
ance of certain duties, their combined func- 
tions formed a unity in supreme control of 
the destiny of man and all creation. The chief 


114 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


distinction between the trinitarian deisti¢ con- 
ceptions of Brahmanism, the Egyptian reli- 
gion and that of Jesus is, that with those 
religions their deistic conceptions were pro- 
gressing toward monotheism, while that of 
Jesus was a departure from it. 

Thus it is seen that. the tri-une deistic con- 
ception of the New Dispensation, had counter- 
parts in at least two other religious systems 
of that day. Moreover, that fact furnishes an 
excellent example of the influence the religions 
of other nations had in shaping Christianity. 
Furthermore, it furnishes evidenee that Jesus, 
at least, if not John also, came in contact, 
either with representatives of Brahmanism 
and the Egyptian religions or their literatures. 

Having discovered the probable origin of 
the trinitarian deistic conception as enun- 
ciated by Jesus, next in order will be to take 
up the doctrines growing out of that concep- 
tion, viz.: Atonement, Incarnation, Holy Ghost 
and Resurrection. In doing this, the doctrine 
of the Atonement and Incarnation being so in- 
extricably woven, they will be considered to- 
gether, 


CHAPTER XI 


Jrsus did not have to go outside of Judaism 
to find a precedent upon which to base his doe- 
trine of Atonement, it being one of the oldest 
of the Israelitish religion. The rites of the 
annual Atonement as executed in the time of 
Moses was a very elaborate ceremony. Strict 
rules governed its performance. Its function 
was to atone for the sins of the priest and his 
house and for the sins of the whole nation for 
the past vear. It would appear that the early 
Hebrew people did not take the story of the 
Garden of Hden literally, for they adopted a 
fairly easy method of escaping the conse- 
quences of the act of Adam. However, it 1s 
quite possible that the narrative based on that 
tradition had not at that time been written. 
In that case the Hebrews possibly relied on 
vague tradition concerning that supposed 
event. 

The instructions and rules governing the 
observance of the annual Atonement of the 
Hebrews is recorded in the sixteenth chapter 
of Leviticus. Without going into detail, be- 
cause of the number of rites attendant upon 

115 


116 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


that ceremony, only a general outline of that 
observance will be given. The chief priest was 
first provided with a bullock and two goats. 
After bathing and putting on spotless gar- 
ments worn only upon such occasions, he slew 
the bullock, sprinkling its blood on the mercy 
seat with his fingers seven times. Then taking 
a censer full of coals of fire from the altar 
with his hands full of sweet incense which he 
sprinkles on the coals, he thereby atones for 
himself and his own household. Next he takes 
the two goats and sets them at the door of the 
tent or tabernacle and draws lots to see which 
one shall be sacrificed to Jehovah and which 
one shall be the scapegoat. The goat drawn 
for Jehovah is then taken within the veil and 
slain and its blood sprinkled in the same man- 
ner as was done with the blood of the bullock, 
for a sin offering for the people to Jehovah. 
Nothing but the blood was used, the entire car- 
casses of both the bullock and the goat, being 
then given to attendants, who disposed of 
them outside the camp by burning. Next tak- 
ing the live goat to the entrance of the tent, 
the chief priest placing his hands on its head 
confessed all the sins committed by the people 
during the year. The goat loaded with the 
sins of the people was conducted by an at- 
tendant without the camp into the wilderness 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 117 


a 


where it becomes lost or dies. Upon the re- 
turn of the attendant, who conducted the goat 
out of the camp into the wilderness, all con- 
cerned in the ceremony remove their cere- 
monial garments and bathe. , 

The early Hebrew observance of the Atone- 
ment was in keeping with their understanding 
of the Garden of Eden tradition when man 
first became able to distinguish between good 
and evil. But Jesus interpreted the nar- 
rative literally. He believed that man ac- 
tually was a fallen being; that having been 
created perfect at first, for an act of disobedi- 
ence he was punished and forever afterwards 
consigned to perdition and a state of misery 
and unhappiness. but while Jesus construes 
the narrative literally, his conception of 
Jehovah is consistent and in keeping with the 
progress made by the Israelitish or Jewish 
religion up to his time. His notion of Jehovah- 
God, is that of the patriarchs, plus the quali- 
ties supplied by Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, 
Habakkuk and the Second Isaiah, supple- 
mented by the tri-une notion obtained from 
Brahmanism and the Egyptian religions. 'T’o 
his mind God is emlowed with the universal 
jurisdiction and justice supplied by Amos, the 
incomparable love voutributed by Hosea, the 
inward spiritual consciousness given him by 


118 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Jeremiah, the power to make the forces of evil 
serve him as conceived by Habakkuk and the 
omnipotence and omniscience bestowed upon 
him by the Second Isaiah. 

Then there is another element that enters 
into his doctrine of Atonement—the belief in 
a future life. We have seen how that belief 
was not incorporated in the religion of Israel 
and did not concern the Hebrew or Jewish 
people very much. It was only in their latter 
history that 1t attained prominence—after the 
exile. That belief is what distinguished the 
Sadducee sect from the Pharisees. The Sad- 
ducees did not believe in a future life. Belief 
in a future life had taken a firm hold on the 
mind of Jesus. To him the future life was to 
be one of far greater importance than the 
present one. The present life was simply one 
of probation, or preparation for the one here- 
after. Life, in this world was temporary, that 
of the next, eternal. Past ages had been de- 
voted chiefly to man’s material welfare. With 
Jesus, his age was to be a spiritual age, the 
‘‘kingdom of heaven,’’ a spiritual kingdom. 
His was the redemptive age of the world; the 
age in which the race was to be given a chance 
to escape the penalty of perdition and to 
attain salvation in the form of eternal life. 
Since man, according to the tradition was 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 119 


given to know good from evil, he was a ‘‘free 
moral agent.’’ The attainment of eternal life 
rested with man himself after God. had made 
provision for his salvation or redemption. 
The foregoing doctrine was that of Zoro- 
astrianism as well as of Jesus. Zoroastrianism 
was a flourishing religion in that day. Zoro- 
aster had established a new order in that sys- 
tem very similar to the one founded by Jesus. 
Zoroaster called his order, the ‘‘ good kingdom,”’ 
the ‘‘wished for kingdom,’’ the ‘‘kingdom of 
desire.’’ According to him, the ‘‘good king- 
dom’’ would be realized in the final aeon, 
which would be the redemptive age of the 
world. It would be founded by the last of his 
three sons, yet to be born, who would be wet 
Messiah. | 
It is seen that Jesus had a precedent for his 
age being the redemptive age—the age when 
the ‘‘kingdom of heaven is at hand.’’ The Jews 
had been looking for a Messiah (anointed 
one, a name applied to all the former 
rulers) ever since they lost their independence 
in 37 B.c. However, they expected him to be 
a temporal ruler. They were waiting for some 
one to appear who would be capable and able 
to regain for them their independence and re- 
establish them as a nation. They were not 
expecting, nor did they realize any extensive 


120 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


need of a spiritual ruler or kingdom. But 
Jesus proposed a spiritual kingdom because 
he believed his age was the last age of the 
world and he declared himself to be the Mes- 
siah charged with the establishment of a 
spiritual kingdom. 

In keeping with the conception of infinite 
love and merey with which Jesus endowed 
God, some way needed to be provided that 
would enable man to escape the damnation to 
which the race had been consigned in the 
narrative concerning the traditionary act of 
Adam. According to the theory of Jesus, per- 
dition could be escaped and the favor of God 
won, only by an adequate sacrifice being made 
—a sacrifice sufficient to atone for man’s sin 
and adequate to redeem the race and recom- 
pense God for its loss. It was obvious no 
ordinary oblation would suffice. Even though 
hecatombs of bulls and rams, exceeding the 
number immolated at the dedication of the 
Temple of Solomon, were slain, an offering 
even of that magnitude would still be insuffi- 
cient. No, no sacrifice would be adequate that 
did not equal the love and esteem in which 
God held the race. God’s love for man being 
so great and his mercy so boundless, no saec- 
rifice of less than a deity itself would be equal 
to God’s love and sufficient to atone for a lost 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 121 


race. Consequently, Jesus conceives himself 
the incarnation of God and himself the sac- 
rificial offering of atonement. 

In harmony with the doctrine of Reincarna- 
tion that was not only common to Brahman- 
ism, or Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, but 
which was current in Palestine in Jesus’ day, 
he adapted that doctrine as employed by those 
religions, to his own needs, by declaring him- 
seif to be the incarnation of God in the flesh 
in the form of his son. ‘Taking into considera- 
tion that Jesus unquestionably shows in his 
teachings, belief in the ancient tradition of 
man having fallen from a higher state and 
forever afterwards consigned to misery and 
unhappiness, together with the more humane 
faculties with which he endows God, and 
coupled with the current doctrine of Rein- 
carnation, in which he believed, viewed from 
that age, such a theory appears entirely con- 
sistent. | 

That Reinearntion was a current belief in 
Palestine at the time Jesus lived, the reader 
is referred to Luke 9:7-9: 


‘‘Now Herod the tetrarch heard all that was done: 
and he was much perplexed, because that it was said by 
some, that John was risen from the dead; and by some, 
that Elijah had appeared; and by others, that one of 
the old prophets was risen again.’’ 


122 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


again Luke 9: 18-19: 


‘‘And it came to pass, as he was praying apart, the 
disciples were with him: and he asked them saying, Who 
do the multitudes say that I am? And they answering 
said, John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and 
others, that one of the old prophets is risen again.”’ 


That Jesus believed in reincarnation him- 
self, the reader is referred to Matthew 11: 14, 
where he is speaking of John the Baptist: 

‘‘And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, 
that is to come.’’ | 


also Matthew 17: 10-18: 


‘And his disciples asked him, saying, why then say 
the seribes that Elijah must first come? And he (Jesus) 
answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall re- 
store all things: but I say unto you, that Elijah is come 
already, and they knew him not, but did unto him what- 
soever they would. Even so shall the Son of man also 
suffer of them. Then understood the disciples that he 
spake unto them of John the Baptist.’’ 


The doctrine of the Incarnation without 
much doubt was suggested to Jesus through 
his contact with Brahmanism or the Theos- 
ophists, either at home or abroad. We have 
seen that it was a common belief in Palestine 
in his day probably due to associations which 
other students of Palestine enjoyed with the 
Brahmans and Theosophists. The source of 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 123 


his doctrine of the Atonement inseparably 
woven with that of the Incarnation as has been 
suggested, was probably derived from the 
Levitical Code and the traditional narrative 
of Judaism regarding the fall of man in the 
Garden of Eden. ‘These, with the deistic con- 
ception entertained by him, would account for 
the provision he made for this doctrine in his 
new philosophy of religion. In _ both his 
doctrine of the Incarnation and Atonement, 
although the form of each is changed as 
employed by him, yet the idea in each is the 
same as that of the original setting. That is 
to be expected. The changed conditions, the 
altered points of view resulting from dif- 
ferent experiences, the differences in tempera- 
ment between nations, sects, and individuals 
would warrant an idea expressed 1n a later age 
to assume a different form. Naturally, Jesus 
took these ideas from whatever source ob- 
tained, and adapted them to his needs in the 
formulation of his new philosophy of religion, 
the ‘‘kingdom of heaven.’’ 

Thus is it seen that the evidences of influ- 
ence of other religious systems and schools of 
thought on Christianity are cumulative. Social 
contact in some form or another is responsible 
for a large part of the change that takes place 
both in people and their institutions. Such 


124 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


social intercourse does not always assist prog- 
ress. Individually speaking, for a bad char- 
acter to associate with a good one is likely to 
benefit the bad, but apt to be degrading to the 
good. Speaking collectively, for a superior 
people, who have developed a religion in keep- 
ing with their advancement, to fraternize 
freely with people inferior, tends to reduce 
the higher and elevate the lower to a common 
level for both. 


CHAPTER XII 


THE next doctrine of the ‘‘kingdom of 
heaven’’ as enunciated by Jesus to be con- 
sidered, is that of the ‘‘ Holy Ghost, or Spirit.’ 
Probably no one of the four doctrines em- 
braced in his hypothesis has been provocative 
of more discussion and has resulted 1n more 
dissension that has this one. Neither has any 
of the four been so little understood by his 
followers. From the first century to the 
present day, Christians have contended with 
each other as to whether the Holy Ghost, or 
Spirit, emanated from God alone, or from God 
and Jesus jointly. While the Apostle John in 
his gospel clearly states that it proceeds from 
God in the name of Jesus, yet in other of the 
gospels it is not so definitely expressed. This 
question in the 11th century a.p. split the 
church. The eastern branch, or church of Con- 
stantinople contending that the Holy Spirit 
proceeded from the Father alone, while 
the western branch, or church of Rome in- 
sisted it emanated from Father and Son 
jointly. Since that time there have been two 
branches of the Catholic Church. While the 

125 


126 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


controversy still exists it has never since 
reached an acute stage. 

In canvassing the thought of the world at 
the time Jesus lived for a school of thought, 
or a religion, from which he might have de- 
rived such an idea as the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, 
we do not have far to seek. It is one of the 
fundamental principles of Theosophy, which 
flourished at that time. Contact with Greek 
philosophers, or their writings, might have 
been the source, because it was an important 
subject with those philosophers in that day. 
Any system of religion, such as Brahmanism 
(Hinduism), Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism, 
that taught the doctrine of Reincarnation, 
would furnish a source from which this idea 
could be obtained; because, such an idea is a 
concomitant to Reincarnation. Since Jesus 
adapted the doctrine of Reincarnation derived 
from some such source to meet his needs, it is 
fair to assume that he was acquainted with 
doctrines and ideas closely allied to it. It has 
been shown that a belief in Reincarnation was 
common at that time even in Palestine. While 
the majority of people, who believed in it 
probably gave no thought as to how it was sup- 
posed to function, as is the case to-day with 
most people respecting religious dogmas, yet 
those of an inquiring mind such as Jesus no 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 127 


doubt possessed would thoroughly familiarize 
themselves with it. 

Theosophy is a complex and _ intricate 
philosophy and for that reason, if for no other, 
no attempt will be made here to portray it in 
anything like a thorough or comprehensive 
manner. Only the briefest explanation pos- 
sible will be given of those teachings of it 
from which the idea of the Holy Ghost, or 
Spirit, as conceived by Jesus, might have 
originated. ‘This explanation is deduced from 
the works of Mrs. Annie Besant, a recognized 
present-day authority on Theosophy. 

-_ According to that philosophy there were 
originally a definite number of egos created 
in the world. Those egos animate the human 
bodies and at death pass to a state of rest and 
passivity to assimilate the experiences and 
ideas gained while on the earth-plane. The 
duration of the disembodied period may vary 
from a very brief time to hundreds and even 
thousands of years. The period of disembodi- 
ment depends, somewhat upon the length of 
time required by the ego to assimilate the ex- 
perience and knowledge gained in the former 
incarnation, and upon a favorable opportunity 
to enter and animate another congenial per- 
sonality. In that way the experience and 
knowledge gained by the ego is cumulative, so 


128 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


that after a transmigration covering a large 
number of reincarnations, the ego reaches the 
Absolute, or perfect state—the state of com- 
plete passivity, or quiescence and of no desire, 
which, in terms of Christianity, would be 
heaven. 

Back of this and responsible for it, is the 
Universal Mind or Thinker. The Universe is 
the product of the Thinker and his mental 
processes are still in operation and will con- 
tinue to be so throughout eternity. The 
Universal Mind or Thinker emits psychic 
rays, or thought-rays similar to the rays of the 
Sun. These thought-rays emanating from the 
Universal Mind operate on the minds of the 
egos While animating the human bodies, in 
much the same manner as a musician manipu- 
lates the keys of a piano. Theosophists ask 
the question: ‘‘ Is the music in the instrument, 
or is it in the mind of the musician, or 
player?’’ Or, again: ‘‘Is beauty in the flower, 
or 1s 1t in the mind of the beholder?’’ The 
theory of Theosophy being, that individuals 
are but automatons, expressing the will of the 
Universal Mind or Thinker by means of 
psychic rays. 

It is easy to see the analogy existing be- 
tween this principle of Theosophy and the 
doctrine of the Holy Ghost or Spirit, which 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 129 


forms the third person in the tri-une deistic 
conception of Jesus. From the mind of God, 
or God and son jointly, there emanates some 
influence that operates on the souls of believers 
euiding them to their goal. In the Gospel of 
John 14: 25-26 Jesus says: 


‘“These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abid- 
ing with you. But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, 
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach 
you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that 
I have said unto you.’’ 


Again in the Gospel according to Luke, 
12: 11-12 Jesus utters these words: 


‘* And when they bring you before the synagogues, and 
the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or 
what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy 
Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought 
LO Tsay 


Hrom the foregoing quotations it is clear 
that the function of the Holy Ghost or Spirit 
as conceived by Jesus was substantially the 
same as that performed by the psychic, or 
thought-rays of the Universal Mind or 
Thinker of Theosophy, or any other schools 
of thought and religions employing that doc- 
trine. 

Man’s notion of the Deity expands as his 
ever-widening knowledge of the universes in- 


130 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


creases. As creation becomes more vast, God 
recedes. Some pages back, attention was di- 
rected to the very intimate relationship that 
existed between the early Hebrew people and 
Jehovah. It was pointed out in that connec- 
tion that as the race progressed towards civi- 
lization, Jehovah became more remote and 
their relationship less familiar. The doctrine 
of the Holy Ghost or Spirit and the psychic 
rays emitted by God or a Universal Mind or 
Thinker, implies a more removed location of 
the Deity. A Jacob’s ladder, high hill, 
mountain, or even angels with wings any 
longer were adequate means for the com- 
munication of the Supreme Ruler’s will to 
man. With man’s expanding mind and com- 
prehension of creation a more consistent 
agency was needed as a medium of intercourse. 
Especially was this true since the spiritual 
nature of both God and man was receiving 
more emphasis. The psychic or thought-ray 
of the Universal Mind or Thinker and the 
Holy Spirit of God as a means of communiea- 
tion were the inventions of minds advanced 
beyond the semi-primitive stage of develop- 
ment. 

It is readily seen that the doctrine of the 
Holy Ghost or Spirit of Jesus is an adapta- 
tion of the Theosophie principle alluded to in 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 131 


the foregoing paragraphs. It is in complete 
harmony with his tri-une deistic conception. 
By his own words it has been shown to per- 
form the same function in his trinity as it is 
conceived of performing in Theosophy. Thus 
the evidences of outside influences affecting 
Christianity multiply. No feature of it dis- 
plays more reaction to the schools of thought 
and religions of other nations than does its 
deistic conception. 


CHAPTER XIII 


THERE remains only one other doctrine of 
the ‘‘kingdom of heaven’’ to be examined be- 
fore taking up the ethics and moral code of 
the new system of religion—it is the doctrine 
of the Resurrection. 

If there could be any question concerning 
the sources from which Jesus obtained those 
doctrines so far examined there cannot pos- 
sibly be any respecting this doctrine. It lies 
entirely outside of the Israelitish religion. No 
counterpart of such a doctrine existed in the 
tenets of that religion. ‘There is abundant 
evidence, however, that the Jews during and 
after their brief period of independence just 
prior to the Christian Era, believed in a resur- 
rection and a future life. It has already been 
pointed out that disbehef in it was what dis- 
tinguished the Sadducee sect from the Phari- 
sees. Those sects are met with for the first 
time during the Jewish nation’s last period of 
independence. So that it was during the latter 
history of that nation’s career that this belief 
was current. The statement that it was not a 
doctrine of the Old Dispensation proper, but 

132 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 133 


was espoused by the Jews during the last years 
of national existence, we think will be con- 
ceded. ‘The question of importance is from 
what source was the doctrine obtained and 
what was its function? 

While other religious systems embraced 
the doctrine of the Resurrection, notably 
Mythraism and Zoroastrianism, greater em- 
phasis was placed on it in Egypt than any 
place else. Irom that country and people, the 
Jews, including Jesus, are most apt to have 
derived a knowledge of and belief in it. Egypt 
was close at hand and was more accessible. 
Naturally Egyptians and Jews circulated more 
freely among each other because of this 
proximity. Yet in this connection it is inter- 
esting to recall that although the early Hebrew 
people spent four hundred and thirty years in 
Hgypt, they emerged with no infection from 
that doctrine. Now fourteen hundred years 
later their offspring in Palestine, not nearly 
so intimately associated with them as were 
their ancestors, have adopted it. 

The doctrine of the Resurrection was a very 
old one even at the time the Hebrew people 
were sojourning in Kevpt. Aside from the 
historical data of such a belief among the 
Egyptians, is the evidence furnished by the 
wholesale mummification of dead bodies of 


134 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


both personsand animals. That practice was In 
keeping with their doctrine of the Resurrection 
and belief in a future life. It was deemed 
necessary by them to preserve the body at 
death so that it would be available when the 
‘‘Ka,’’ or spirit returned at the resurrection 
on the day of judgment. Moreover, it was due 
to those beliefs that figures of wood, brass, or 
stone were usually buried with the mummy, 
so that, in the event the mummy itself did not 
survive the ravages of time, there would still 
be an image, or representative of it for the 
‘* Ka,’’ or spirit to enter. 

The Egyptian’s belief in a resurrection and 
a future life without doubt accounts for the 
skill attained by them in the art of mummifi- 
cation. Because of it they assigned great im- 
portance to the art of sepulcher. The tombs 
of Egypt have proved more lasting than her 
temples. They are usually of two kinds: 
the excavated tomb cut into the rock of the 
western bank of the Nile with many pas- 
sages, chambers and shafts; and those built 
above ground out of stone and granite. These 
latter are likewise usually of two kinds: the 
pyramid and bench types. Of the pyramids, 
there are nearly a hundred, in six groups. 
Thev are all royal tombs and vary in size and 
shape. The three pyramids at Gizeh are far 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 135 


larger than any of the others, and belong to 
the Fourth Dynasty. The largest is that of 
Cheops, or JXhufu, having a base 764 feet 
square and an original height of 482 feet. The 
others vary from 254 feet square at the base, 
to 200 to 482 feet high. They all contain 
chambers, corridors, shafts and secret rooms. 

The mastaba, or bench type of tombs are 
usually rectangular in shape and have sloping 
walls and a flat roof. Like the pyramids, they 
have numerous chambers, corridors, rooms 
and shafts leading to deep chambers where the 
sarcophagus containing the mummy rests. It 
was customary for the walls of the rooms, cor- 
ridors and chambers to be decorated with 
painted scenes depicting the daily life and 
sports of the deceased in order that the ‘‘ Ka,”’ 
or spirit might the more easily identify the 
body of its counterpart. All are familiar with 
the elaborate furniture, utensils, pictures and 
‘*Ka’’—statues found in the royal tomb lately 
discovered of Tut-ank-Hamen. The elaborate 
paraphernalia found in his tomb, was placed 
there because of the belief the Egyptians held 
respecting a resurrection and a future life. 
Great care was taken to conceal the tombs and 
sarcophagi of their dead as an assurance 
against molestation pending the resurrection 
event. 


{36 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Such are the grounds for believing the 
source of the doctrine of the Resurrection as 
employed by Jesus in his new philosophy of 
religion. It is now within our province to 
examine and inquire as to how that doctrine 
as enunciated by him was intended to func- 
tion. 

Jesus taught a general reunion of body and 
spirit (soul) would take place in the near 
future on a day of judgment. On that occa- 
sion the bodies of the dead would arise from 
both the earth and the sea and again be united 
with their spirits. Reunion of body and spirit 
having taken place the vast throng would pass 
before him and his angelic host for review and 
judgment. The good and just would receive 
his commendation and be rewarded by a pass- 
port to heaven; the wicked and those refusing 
to acknowledge his sovereignty, would be sen- 
tenced to hell. In confirmation of the fore- 
going Jesus utters these words, found in Mat- 
thew 25: 31-46: 


‘“‘But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, 
and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the 
throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all 
the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, 
as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; 
and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats 
on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 137 


right hand. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the 
world . . . Then shall he say also unto them on the left 
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire, 
which is prepared for the devil and his angels . .,. And 
these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the 
righteous into eternal life.’’ 


As to the probable time of the Judgment day 
when the resurrection is to occur, after recit- 
ing what will take place prior thereto, he tells 
Vepneluker2ls32-36: 


‘‘Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass 
away, till all things be accomplished. But take heed 
to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with 
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and eares of this life, and 
that day come on you suddenly as a snare: for so shall 
it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the 
earth. But watch ye at every season, making supplica- 
tion, that ye may prevail to eseape all these things that 
shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’’ 


The imminence of the ‘‘judgment day”’ 1s 
conveyed in Matthew 16: 27-28: 


‘‘Hor the Son of man shall come in the glory of his 
Father with his angels: and then shall he render unto 
every man according to his deeds. Verily I say unto 
you, There are some of them that stand here, who shall 
in no wise taste of death, ’til they see the Son of man 
coming in his kingdom.’’ 


As a further proof that Jesus taught that the 


138 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Resurrection would take place soon, the reader 
is referred to the First Epistle of St. Paul 
to the Thessalonians. Considerable unrest 
and disappointment had arisen among the 
Thessalonians because the second coming of 
Jesus and the Resurrection was being deferred. 
They had been taught that it would happen 
within their generation, as the foregoing eita- 
tion of Jesus states. Many were growing old 
and were dying without the opportunity of 
witnessing the majesty of Jesus and his 
heavenly host and participating in the glorious 
spectacle. In order to set them at rest and 
assure them that they will still enjoy all the 
advantages of the occasion, even though they 
die before the looked for event occurs, the 
Apostle Paul addresses a letter to them. In 
Hirst Thessalonians 4: 18-18 Paul says: 


‘‘But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, con- 
cerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even 
as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that 
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are 
fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this 
we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that 
are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall 
in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the 
Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, 
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of 
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first ; then we that 
are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 139 


up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so 
shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one 
another with these words.’’ 


The foregoing quotation from the Apostle 
Paul is in keeping with the belief of Jesus that 
his was the redemptive age of the world. 
Moreover, it is observed that Jesus himself 
and those in point of time nearest to him, 
taught that the Resurrection was to take place 
within a generation. When such did not hap- 
pen, St. Paul in later epistles was forced to 
alter his preaching on that point and treated 
the doctrine of the Resurrection as symbolical 
of a new birth. | 

However, with millions of devotees of the 
Christian religious system, a belief in a resur- 
rection and second coming of Jesus, still per- 
sists. Many hundreds of times since his day, 
have sects in the Christian religious system 
calculated just when the event would take 
place and prepared for the occasion. While 
this is being written, a certain group of Chris- 
tians is asserting that, ‘‘millions now living 
will never die.’? Only a few months ago an 
entirely different group disposed of all its pos- 
sessions and gathered at a spot in California 
and confidently awaited on a certain day the 
momentous event. No doubt for many years 
and perhaps a century, there still will be ele- 


140 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


ments, who will compute the time and await 
in ecstasy the prospect of its realization. 

With this discussion ends our consideration 
of the doctrines composing the ‘‘kingdom of 
heaven.’’ In the next chapter will be taken 
up the ethics and moral code of Jesus’ new 
philosophy. 


CHAPTER XIV 


VIEWED from the present age, the ethics and 
new moral code embraced in the new religious 
system, the ‘‘kingdom of heaven’’ founded by 
Jesus by all odds are the most important con- 
tributions made by him to the religious prog- 
ress of the world. In them the actions of man- 
kind appear in a new and entirely different 
hight from any that had been customary in the 
past. With a boldness and fearlessness that 
challenges our admiration and respect, he rein- 
terprets the Decalogue and adds to it; he in- 
troduces the Golden Rule of the Orient to the 
Occidental world; he exposes the emptiness of 
many of the most cherished customs of the day 
and submits in their stead a higher standard 
by which to measure men’s actions. Probably 
the most outstanding example of this is his 
‘brotherhood of man’’ principle of ethics. It 
was not a new ethical precept. It had its coun- 
terpart in the Torah of the Old Dispensation. 
But Jesus gave to it a new meaning and illus- 
trated by concrete examples how to practise it. 
His‘‘brotherhood of man’’ doctrine is based on 
the precepts of the Torah, the Golden Rule and 

141 


142 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


his new commandment, ‘‘that ye love one an- 
other.’? The three go hand in hand. With 
them a new virtue is discovered—that of un- 
selfishness. The habit of performing gratui- 
tous service, especially for a stranger from 
whom there was little prospect of reciproca- 
tion was extremely uncommon. The recipients 
of such services most generally were among 
one’s nearest relatives from whom one had 
some reason at least to expect some act of 
service in return. At farthest, they were 
one’s nearest neighbors, who, because of their 
proximity, would be most likely to repay in 
kind. Under no circumstances would they be 
utter strangers. <A neighbor was regarded 
from a selfish point of view—for what one 
could get out of him. It appears now that cus- 
tom was to undergo a change. 


‘¢ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial 
of him, saying, Teacher, What shall I do to inherit eter- 
nal life? And he said unto him, What is written in the 
law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy 
mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto 
him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt 
live. But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, 
And who is my neighbor? 

‘* Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was go- 
ing down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 143 


robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and de- 
parted, leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain 
priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, 
he passed by on the other side. And in like manner a 
Levite also, when he came to the place, and sew him, 
passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as 
he journeyed, came where he was: and when saw him, he 
was moved with compassion, and came to him, and bound 
up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set 
him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and 
took care of him. And on the morrow he took out two 
shillings and gave them to the host, and said, Take care 
of him; and whatsoever thou spendest mcre, I, when I 
come back again, will repay thee. Which of these three, 
thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among 
the robbers? And he said, He that showed merey on 
him. And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou like- 
wiser?* . 


In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the 
priest passed the injured traveler by, probably 
because he did not belong to his congregation. 
He was not of his flock. He could not expect 
any tithes from him, so why should he bother 
with him? ‘The Levite was not concerned, 
because he did not belong to his tribe. Per- 
haps also, he could see that he was not even 
a Jew. It was extremely unlikely that he 
would ever have an opportunity of repaying 
the service even if he did help him. So he no 
doubt looked the other way when he passed 


1 Luke 10:25-37. 


144 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


by and pretended that he did not see him. But 
it remained for a despised Samaritan with no 
piide of ancestry and no hope of fame from 
posterity to set a perfect example. 

Jesus taught that it was not always the per- 
sons who made the strongest professions and 
were the most conspicuous in their religious 
practises that were the most devout. Accord- 
ing to him, the ‘‘brotherhood of man’’ idea 
expressed itself in spontaneous service to 
others without thought of compensation. 
With those who possess the true notion of the 
‘‘brotherhood of man,’’ service becomes a 
habit. Good deeds and kind acts become the 
habitual mode of expression. Everyone, re- 
gardless of race, color and mental attainment, 
understands the language of kind acts. 


“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, 
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre- 
pared for you from the foundation of the world: for I 
was hunery, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye 
eave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; 
naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; 
I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the 
righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee 
hungry, and fed thee? Or athirst, and gave thee drink? 
And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or 
naked, and clothed thee? And when saw we thee sick, 
or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall 
answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inas- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 145 


much as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even 
these least, ye did it unto me.’’? 


The new ethics of Jesus taught that loving 
God consisted in loving one’s fellow men. He 
said: ‘‘A new commandment I give unto you, 
that ye love one another, even as I have loved 
you.’’ Usually the farther removed one is in 
Space, time and relationship, the more meager 
is one’s love. Itis easier for one to love a person 
closely related to one by blood ties than some 
person unrelated; to love one’s next-door 
neighbor better than his neighbor removed 
but one; the people of one’s own town, 
more than those of some other place; and 
of one’s own country more than a land 
across the sea; and one’s own race better 
than the people of some other race. But the 
new commandment given by Jesus and the 
ethics taught in his ‘‘brotherhood of man’”’ em- 
braces the entire human race; it seeks expres- 
sion in all lands. It is missionary in spirit. 
It is an aggressive idea. The conquest of the 
world is its ambition. Just as the limited 
express train, the ocean liner, aeroplane, tele- 
eraph, and radio, have shortened the distance 
between peoples almost as remotely situated as 
the poles, so the ‘‘ brotherhood of man”’ and the 


1 Matthew 25:34-40. 


146 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


new commandment of Jesus make the whole 
world kin. 

The new moral code enunciated by Jesus 
taught that the motive back of the action was 
what really counted. 


‘‘Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before 
men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your 
Father who is in heaven. When therefore thou doest 
alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites 
do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may 
have glory of man. Verily I say unto you, They have 
received their reward.’’ + 


He condemns those, ‘‘who for a pretense, 
make long prayers and who go about in sheep’s 
clothing, when inwardly, they are ravening 
wolves.’’ He exposes the hypocrisy of those 
who manifest by their countenances that they 
are fasting. Who, by so doing want people to 
think they are very religious. Jesus says: 


‘But thou, when thou fasteth, anoint thy head, and 
wash thy face; that thou be not seen of men to fast, 
but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who 
seeth in secret shall recompense thee.’’ ? 


As other examples that the motive back of the 
action is as important as the act itself, Jesus 
uses the Sixth and Seventh Commandments of 
the Decalogue to illustrate his teaching: 


1 Matthew 6:1-2. 
2 Matthew 6:17-18. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 147 


‘“Ve have heard that it was said of them of old time, 
Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill shall be in 
danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that every- 
one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of 
the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his krother, 
Raca, shall be in danger of the council: and whosoever 
shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of 
Tine. 5 


The Seventh commandment states that, 
‘‘thou shalt not commit adultery.’’ Jesus de- 
clares that, ‘‘everyone that looketh on a woman 
to lust after her hath committed adultery with 
her already in his heart.’’ 

Probably no better method exists for deter- 
mining the merits of the ethics and moral code 
of the New Dispensation than by comparisop 
with those of the Old. In First Samuel we 
read how Jehovah repented that Saul had 
been anointed king of Israel; so he told 
Samuel to visit Jesse, the Bethlemite and toe 
call the sons of Jesse together and the one that: 
he would indicate, Samuel was to anoint him 
king. Samuel protested that if he were to do 
such a thing Saul would kill him. Jehovah 
commanded him to take a heifer along and to 
tell them he had come to sacrifice, but when 
the sons of Jesse are gathered, to anoint the 
one he would designate. Imagine Jehovah 


1 Matthew 5 :21-22. 


148 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


practising deception! Or again, Samuel at the 
instigation of Jehovah summoning King Agag, 
who had been captured by Saul in battle and 
despite Agag’s pleadings for mercy, hewing 
him in pieces! Or, Jehovah sending Saul to 
destroy the Amalekite nation and commanding 
him to ‘‘smite Amalek and utterly destroy all 
that they have, and spare them not; but slay 
both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox 
and sheep, camel and ass!’’ Many similar — 
examples are contained in the narratives of 
the Old Dispensation reflecting the morals and 
ethics of the people of those times and pur- 
porting to have the sanction of Jehovah. | 
The comparison is all in favor of the morals 
and ethics contained in the New Covenant. In 
the canonical writings of the New Order, there 
are no accounts that match the harshness and 
cruelty portrayed in those of the Old Dispen- 
sation. In it the people fell far short of living 
up to the letter of the Law much less the spirit 
of it. The old proverb, ‘‘if thine enemy be 
hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be 
thirsty, give him water to drink; for thou wilt 
heap coals of fire upon his head,’’ was an ex- 
cellent precept, but it was not much practised. 
The custom was an eye for an eye, a tooth for 
a tooth, return evil for evil. Jesus revived the 
teaching of that old precept. He taught them 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 149 


to, ‘‘love their enemies, to do good to them that 
hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for 
them that despitefully use you.’’ Jesus 
pointed out that, ‘‘if ye salute your brethren 
only, what do ye more than others? do not 
even the Gentiles the same?’’ When Jesus 
chose Matthew the tax gatherer to be one of 
his disciples, and Matthew made a banquet for 
Jesus and a few friends, the Pharisees and 
Seribes criticized him for eating with publi- 
cans and sinners. There must have been a bit 
of sarcasm in Jesus’ reply to the charge when 
he rejoined: ‘‘I came not to call the righteous 
but sinners to repentance.’’ His imputation 
that they were righteous probably did not re- 
flect his true estimate of them. His parable 
about sewing a new piece of cloth on an old 
garment, and of putting new wine in old bot- 
tles, and of anyone having drunk old wine 
desiring new wine, leads one to infer that he 
had about concluded that it was too much to 
expect the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees 
to accept his new ethics and moral code. The 
person having drunk old wine has learned to 
hike it. He says, ‘‘the old suits me.’’ As with 
Wine, so with old and new ideas: ‘‘my father 
lived by the old and it was good enough for 
him, so it is good enough for me.’’ That is 
the language of the unprogressive. 


150 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


The new ethics and new code of morals 
enunciated by Jesus probably appeared im- 
practicable to many in that time, even as they 
do to some persons to-day, but their soundness 
is indisputable. The ethics of the ‘‘ brotherhood 
of man’’ stands as a challenge to the race and 
is the objective of civilization. ‘Think what 
it would mean if it was a realization! It would 
mean that peace would be substituted for war, 
love for hate, good will for vindictiveness, pity 
for cruelty, charity for malice, justice for in- 
justice, compassion for spitefulness. To say 
that it is impracticable and visionary, is to say 
that 1t will not succeed. But it must—it will, 
or else there is no such thing as progress in 
the world. 


CHAPTER XV 


‘HERE remains only one more feature of the 
‘‘kingdom of heaven’’ to be considered. It is 
the doctrine that Jesus’ day was the ‘‘redemp- 
tive age’’ of the world; the age in which the 
race was to be afforded a chance to escape the 
fate to which it had been consigned because 
of the act of Adam. John the Baptist as the 
forerunner of Jesus in his very first discourse 
called upon the people, ‘‘to repent for the 
kingdom of heaven is at hand.’’ Jesus fol- 
lowed with the announcement that he was the 
Messiah. He held that he was the medium 
through which the race’s escape from perdi- 
tion could be made and salvation gained. He 
says: ‘‘I am the way, the truth and the light. 
No man cometh unto the Father but by me.’’ 
The ‘‘redemptive age’’ proclaimed by Jesus, 
was to be the final outcome of the dual struggle 
between good and evil, truth and falsehood, 
light and darkness, in the world. In this age, 
God and Satan are waging the supreme con- 
test for possession of that priceless trophy, the 
soul of man. Jesus himself did not escape 
that strife. While he was in the wilderness 
trying to reach a decision, Satan appeared 

151 


152 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


unto him showing him the kingdoms of the 
world and suggesting to him that he go in for 
worldly pursuits. ‘‘Look at Alexander the 
Great, Caesar, Herod, would it not be fine to 
live in splendid palaces and to send your 
armies forth to conquer and be hailed as an 
emperor or king by countless subjects?’’ Or, 
maybe Satan suggested to him that pleasure 
was the chief thing, because, we are told he 
suggested to him every temptation. ‘‘Go in 
for pleasure, you will live only once. Get as 
much fun out of life as possible. Satisfy your 
appetites. What were they given you for if 
not to use to the utmost?’’ Again, he may 
have suggested to him, riches. ‘‘The thing to 
do, Jesus, is to get as much money as possible; 
it does not matter how you get it. Ifa person 
has money, no one cares how he obtained it. 
But under no circumstances, have anything to 
do with trying to serve humanity. And above 
all, do not be a reformer of any kind. Itisa 
thankless job and nobody cares anything about 
a reformer. Besides, he generally gets killed.’’ 

In the titanic struggle for possession of the 
human soul, Satan offers power, pleasure, 
riches, satisfied appetites, indolence, easy life 
and adulation. Opposed to which, God offers 
through Jesus, eternal ife—immortality. Man 
is being given his choice since he is a ‘‘free 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 153 


moral agent.’’ Every individual is counted; 
and every human added to either side, 1s the 
signal for cheers on the part of the victor. The 
immortal warfare between the dual forces of 
light and darkness, God and Satan, is elo- 
quently portrayed by Milton in his ‘‘ Paradise 
Lost.’’ On the one hand, God announces: 


‘‘Thrones, Princedoms, Powers, Dominions, I reduce, 
All knees to thee shall bow, of them that bide 
In heaven, or earth, or under earth in hell; 
When thou attended gloriously from heaven 
Shalt in the sky appear, and from thee send 
The summoning archangels to proclaim 

Thy dread tribunal: forthwith from all winds 
The living, and forthwith the cited dead 
Of all past ages, to the general doom 
Shall hasten, such a peal shall rouse their sleep. 
Then, all thy saints assembled, thou shalt judge 
Bad men and angels; they arraign’d shall sink 
Beneath thy sentence; hell, her numbers full, 
Theneeforth shall be forever shut. Mean while 
The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring 
New heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell, 
And after all their tribulations long 
See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds, 

With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth: 
Then thou thy regal scepter shall lay by, 

For regal scepter then no more shall need, 
God shall be all in all... 

No sooner had th’ Almighty ceas’d, but all 
The multitude of angels with a shout, 

Loud as from numbers without number, sweet 


154 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


As from blest voices, uttering joy, heaven rung 
With jubilee, and tas hosannas fill’d 
Th’ eternal regions.’ 


On the other hand, Satan declares: 


‘To do aught good never will be our task, 
But ever to do ill our sole delight, 
As being the contrary to his high will, 
Whom we resist. If then his providence 
Out of our evil seek to bring forth good, 
Our labor must be to pervert that end, 
And out of good still to find means of evil; 
Which oft-times may succeed, so as perhaps 
Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb 
His inmost counsels from their destin’d aim. 
He spake: and to confirm his words outflew 
Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs 
Of mighty cherubim; the sudden blaze 
Far round illumin’d hell: highly they rag’d 
Against the highest, and fierce with grasped arms 
Clash’d on their sounding shields the din of war, 
Hurling defiance toward the vault of heaven.’’ 


That each human soul has been counted and 
in what esteem it is held in ‘‘the kingdom of 
heaven’’ let Jesus tell: 


‘‘How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, 
and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the 
ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek 
that which goeth astray? And if so be that he find it, 
verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over 
the ninety and nine which have not gone astray.’’ ? 


1 Matthew 18:12-13. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 1Dd 


‘“‘Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she 
lose one piece, doth not hght a lamp, and sweep the 
house, and seek diligently until she find it? And when 
she hath found it, she calleth together her friends and 
neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the 
piece, which I had lost. Even so, I say unto you, there 
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one 
sinner that repenteth.’’ * 


‘‘But when he (the prodigal son) came to himself he 
said, How many hired servants of my father’s have 
bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger ! 
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, 
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: 
I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as 
one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his 
father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw 
him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell 
on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, 
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: 
I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the 
father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best 
robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, 
and shoes on his feet: and bring the fatted calf, and kill 
it, and let us eat, and make merry: for this my son was 
dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And 
they began to be merry.’’ ” 


Jesus taught that it was not the physical life 
that was the most important. He said: 

‘*Be not afraid of them that kill the body, 
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather 


1 Luke 15:8-10. 
2 Luke 15:17-24. 


156 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


fear him, who is able to destroy both soul and 
body in hell.’’ Psychologists, even in that day, 
recognized that the body is not the ‘‘self,’’ but 
only the house, or shell that harbors the real 
‘‘self.”? That unseen essence, that spark of 
divinity, that iexplcable, intangible some- 
thing that animates the physical organism 
called the soul or spirit, is the real ‘‘self.”’ 

Throughout the ages soul value has lost 
none of its appreciation. It was greater in 
Jesus’ day than it ever had been before. He 
felt its value keenly. The ‘‘redemptive age’’ in 
which he believed, was predicated on the store 
God set on the human race. During the latter 
months of Jesus’ ministry, his teachings 
abound with expressions of love, pity, anxiety 
and grief for those to whom he had ministered 
and would soon be called upon te leave and 
others he had on his heart: 


‘‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, 
and stonest them that are sent unto her! how often 
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a 
hen gatnereth her chickens under her wings, and ye 
would not’’!? 


Jerusalem had been the very stronghold of 
his opposition. She had resisted every effort on 
his part to minister to her. In Jerusalem were 


1 Matthew 23;37-38. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 157 


the great Temple with all its sacred traditions 
and all the attendant ceremonialism of the old 
régime. ‘There, the Pharisees and NSeribes 
were thoroughly intrenched. He could obtain 
a large and enthusiastic following in the rural 
districts and the villages, but when he came 
to Jerusalem, things were different. Yet for 
all the opposition to him in Jerusalem, he was 
reluctant to give it up. 

Perhaps no better example of the high re- 
gard Jesus entertained for humanity is to be 
found, than that which he exhibited towards 
his disciples. He had told them repeatedly 
that he soon must leave them and had given 
them much advice in order to strengthen them 
and enable them to be faithful to his teachings 
and the trust he was committing unto them. 
But he realized their simple and child-like 
natures and could easily perceive the hard- 
ships and discouragements that were in store 
for them. In contemplation of that thought, 
his heart bled for that little band, which was 
all that was left of the multitudes that had 
once rallied to his standard. ‘Those vast 
erowds of four and five thousand persons that 
had formerly gathered on the shores of the sea 
of Galilee to hear him, making it necessary 
for him to preach from a boat because of the 
press, had all melted away. That motley 


158 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


throng that accompanied him on his pathetic 
triumphal entry into Jerusalem, vanished in 
the face of the overwhelming opposition of the 
Pharisees and Seribes. Only a few remained 
—the twelve and a few others. Even one of 
them, Judas, became convinced that Jesus was 
an impostor. Moreover, the most zealous of all 
his dearest disciples, Peter, denied him three 
times in succession on the occasion of his 
arraignment before the high priest declaring, 
‘‘T never knew him.’’ After Jesus had been 
bound over to the Roman tribunal, at his trial 
before Pilate, when he was spat upon, buf- 
feted, ridiculed, derided and mocked and on 
his head, in derision, was placed the crown of 
thorns, he looked in vain over that large crowd 
of spectators for one friendly glance, one sym- 
pathetic eye—for just one friend. But friend- 
less, deserted, and lonely as he must have felt, 
his grief was not as poignant as that he felt 
in contemplation of leaving his little band of 
disciples. In that soul-stirrmg prayer he 
made intercession for them: 


‘*Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast 
given me, that they may be one, even as we are. While 
I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou 
hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them 
perished, but the son of perdition; that the seripture 
might be fulfilled ...I pray not that thou shouldst 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 159 


take them from the world, but that thou shouldst keep 
them from-the evil one. They are not of the world, even 
as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth: 
thy word is truth.’’ ! 7 


With the immediate prospect of arrest, 
conviction and crucifixion before him, Jesus 
sought to cheer his little group and stimulate 
their confidence and spirits: 


‘‘Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, be- 
heve also in me. In my Father’s house are many man- 
sions; if it were not so, | would have told you; for I go 
to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a 
place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto 


9 


myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’’ ” 


Jesus gave the little group a new command- 
ment: *‘that ye love one another, even as I 
have loved you.’’ He told them that he no 
longer would speak of them as servants, but 
as friends; ‘‘for the servant knoweth not what 
his lord doeth.’’. He assured them that, ‘‘all 
things I have heard from my Father, I have 
made known unto you.”’ 

Jesus counted himself a friend even to his 
enemies. Notwithstanding all but a small 
number had rejected him and were going to 
do unto him whatsoever they would; yet for 
all that, his love transcended their enmity. He 


1 John 17:11-17. 
2 John 14:1-3, 


160 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


was the medium of their atonement. His day 
was the ‘‘redemptive age’’ in which the race 
was to be afforded the opportunity for salva- 
tion. ‘‘Greater love hath no man than this, 
that a man lay down his life for his friends.”’ 

That little handful of loyal followers, like 
the ttle bit of yeast the woman in the parable 
hid in some flour, became the nucleus of what 
to-day is the largest religious system in the 
world. Over five hundred and sixty million 
souls nominally belong to that system. ‘The 
old old struggle for supremacy between the 
forces of ight and darkness, good and evil, 
truth and falsehood continues, with the posi- 
tive forces in the ascendency. Many dark 
places are being lhghted; evil conditions are 
being removed; falsehood is giving way to 
truth and crooked places are being made 
straight, because of the estimate that was 
placed by Jesus on the worth and value of the 
human soul. 


CHAPTER XVI 


Wuat then are the points of superiority of 
the “‘kingdom of heaven’’ of the New Dispen- 
sation over those of the Old Order? What 
principles and doctrines enunciated in it, have 
been proven sound and rational by the criteria 
of experience and reason? In attempting to 
summarize the features of the ‘‘kingdom of 
heaven,’’ we prefer to consider them in re- 
verse order from that employed in discussing 
them in the foregoing chapters. 

Every progressive idea is more or less 
cirectly connected with the past. It will ap- 
pear reasonable or unreasonable, conservative 
or radical to the masses, in proportion to the 
directness or indirectness of that connection. 
[t will appear practicable or visionary in pro- 
portion to the interval of time the future is 
anticipated. It does not necessarily grow out 
‘of the past history and experience of the 
society or nation in which it finds expression. 
But if not, it will be related to the history and 
experience of some other with whom an inter- 
change of relations have taken place. We 
have seen that religion is inseparably bound 
with all the other human activities and main- 

161 


162 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


tains a fairly well-balanced relation to them. 
While not necessarily progressive in every 
age or given period, yet viewed over con- 
siderable durations of time, it 1s seen to 
progress. From small discrepancies of cor- 
respondence between organ and function at 
first, later considerable breaches in cor- 
respondence are discernible. Because of the 
slow pace with which such changes take place 
and the multitude of details in which they are 
enmeshed, they are not detected by the masses. 
It remains for prophetic minds, taking a 
bird’s-eye view of the situation, to point them 
out. Usually, such analyses and forecasts are 
httle heeded by the immediate and succeeding 
generations. Later, their validity is recog- 
nized generally and they come to form the 
basis of a new order. 

The religion of the ‘‘kingdom of heaven’’ as 
enunciated by Jesus appears to be no excep- 
tion to the foregoing rule. The religious con- 
tributions of the voluntary prophets, Amos, 
Hosea, Jeremiah, Habakkuk and the Second 
Isaiah, supply a good part of the base for the 
ethics of this new system. The doctrines 
enunciated by them were unpopular, both with 
the ecclesiastical authorities and the masses 
of their day. They did not see the lack of 
correspondence between the religious organ- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 163 


ism and its function that was apparent to 
keen observers, such as were the voluntary 
prophets. They were held in about the same 
regard by the ecclesiastics of their day as a 
‘‘free thinker’’ is held by the Church Of to- 
day. Yet the contributions of the voluntary 
prophets were the expressions of a growing 
race consciousness; impossible for them to be 
incorporated in the religious system of their 
day, they became fundamental in a new sys- 
tem at a later day. 

The founder of a new school of thought, or 
religious system should not be expected to 
have originally conceived all the ideas em- 
braced in his new régime, in order for it to 
be progressive and superior to the one it is 
intended to supplant. Indeed, the originator 
of a new order may not be the author of a 
single new concept he employs and still be the 
creator of a new and more progressive cor- 
poration than anything of its kind that has 
preceded it. Originality may consist in dis- 
erimination between those things that have 
been proven inconsistent and false—therefore 
obsolete—and those things which have demon- 
strated their truth and worth by time and use. 
Differentiation of the tried and proven prin- 
ciples and doctrines from the unreliable and 
questionable and the combining of the former 


#164 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


into a practicable and workable formula, leay- 
ing behind the impracticable and disproven, is 
quite as much an original and progressive 
contribution as to conceive of a new set of 
ideas. 

Out of the contributions to the religious 
progress made by the voluntary prophets al- 
luded to, out of those edicts of the Torah of 
the Old Dispensation contained in the Levitical 
Code, and out of the Golden Rule obtained 
from an outside source, Jesus formulated the 
ethics of his ‘‘brotherhood of man’’ and his 
new moral code. Those doctrines and precepts 
of the Old Dispensation that had stood the test 
of time were as valid as ever and appear to be 
so regarded by Jesus. In his ‘‘kingdom of 
heaven’’ he retains the Decalogue of the Old 
Covenant, but he reserves the right to rein- 
terpret it and add to it. He says: 

‘‘Another commandment I give unto you, 
that ye love one another, even as I have loved 
you.’’ The Torah and Decalogue held so 
sacred by the Jews were not so sacred to Jesus 
that they did not admit of individual inter- 
pretation and supplementation. Jor example, 
in the Sixth Commandment, he holds anger at 
one’s brother a species of murder. Likewise 
in the Seventh Commandment, he interprets 
as meaning, a man is guilty of adultery who 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 165 


looks after a woman to lust after her. He 
showed that the desire was as reprehensible 
as the action itself. Jesus added a new sin to 
the category—the sin of hypocrisy. If not 
exactly new, it had never been inveryhed 
against very strongly by the old régime. De- 
ceit is a synonym for it. 

In the New Dispensation, in apposition to 
the negative qualities, Jesus sets the positive 
qualities. Instead of the, ‘Thou shalt not,”’ 
he emphasizes the, °*‘Thou shalt.’’ Jesus 
sought to establish a system in which the posi- 
tive qualities would dominate—where love, 
justice, merey and pity would be the mo- 
tivating factors, instead of their opposites, as 
appeared to be the case in the Old Order. By 
means of his incomparable parables, he por- 
trays the qualities of either class in a way 
never achieved before. By means of the 
parable he was able to state a truth or an idea 
in juxtaposition to its opposite, thereby in 
many instances, automatically supplying the 
_ answer. 

The religion of the New Dispensation is 
superior to that of the Old in that it is broader. 
It is international, while that of the Old Order 
was tribal and national. Moreover, the reli- 
gion of the New Order is aggressive ; it 18 mis- 
sionary in spirit; while that of the Old Order 


166 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


was passive. The Hebrews, or Israelites were 
not concerned whether any other people or 
nation espoused their religion and accepted 
Jehovah for their God or not—in fact they 
preferred that they not do so. Furthermore, 
the religion of the ‘‘kingdom of heaven”’ as 
enunciated by Jesus was an unselfish religion 
while that of the Old Covenant was predicated 
on selfishness. 

Without doubt the chief points of superior- 
ity of the New Dispensation over the Old Dis- 
pensation, are the ethics of the ‘‘ brotherhood 
of man’’ and the new moral code. The idealism 
of the ‘‘brotherhood of man’’ is the natural 
fruition of the contributions made by the 
voluntary prophets and the Golden Rule ac- 
quired from the Far East. By no means is 
that ideal a realization to-day, but it is an 
objective with which to tempt the race. That 
the ethics of the world is moving toward that 
goal, there can be no question. That the ulti- 
mate achievement of it will be accomplished, 
is as certain as that there is a plan for creation 
and laws governing the universes. 

Turning to the deistic conception and doc- 
trines growing out of it as enunciated by Jesus 
in his ‘‘kingdom of heaven,’’ an entirely dif- 
ferent conclusion is forced upon us. The 
reason therefor is because it bears so unmis- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 167 


takably the marks of inferior religious influ- 
ences. It exhibits unquestionably character- 
istics of polytheism. As has been shown it 
had its counterparts in the religious deistic 
conceptions of Egypt and Brahmanism, or 
Hinduism of India. The tri-une deistic con- 
ception of Jesus marred the purity and 
originality of monotheism, the distinguishing 
characteristic of Judaism. It was a reversion 
towards polytheism. A study of the religions 
of Egypt and India shows that a tri-une god- 
head with them was a development toward 
monotheism. In those countries the multiple 
of gods gradually giving way to three superior 
gods warrants the assumption that ultimately 
monotheism would result. But the tri-une 
deistic conception of Jesus was a throwback 
from a higher to a lower form. Jehovah, how- 
ever crudely conceived by the Hebrew people 
and crudely worshiped by the Israelitish na- 
tion, stood singly and alone, stripped of all 
polytheistie aspects, pre-eminent of deistic 
conceptions in that day. No greater obstacle 
to the further progress of Judaism is con- 
ceivable than the degradation of its monothe- 
istic conception. The ‘‘kingdom of heaven,”’ 
the philosophy of Christianity, has labored 
under no greater handicap than its tri-une 
deistic conception and doctrines pertaining 


168 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


thereto. Because of abhorrence men have dis- 
played toward it, throughout the entire history 
of Christianity, that system has been forced 
to resort to subterfuges of many kinds. 
lifforts have been made and steps taken by 
the Church to stifle knowledge and informa- 
tion in order to obtain acceptance of its deistic 
doctrines. In confirmation of that statement 
may be cited the fact, that after the invention 
of printing, Bibles were collected and burned 
by thousands in order to keep them from the 
hands of the people. They were not even 
allowed to read the Bible much less interpret 
it. Even in this day, there is an aversion dis- 
cernible in some quarters upon the part of the 
clergy, against laymen presuming themselves 
qualified to interpret and judge the Seriptures. 
As a further instance of the suppression of 
knowledge by the Church in order that men’s 
minds might be kept in ignorance thereby 
making them more amenable and dependent 
upon ecclesiastical authority, was that which 
took place prior to the Renaissance. A tre- 
mendous amount of knowledge that had been 
acquired by civilization was lost to the world 
and had to be relearned, because it was thought 
by the Church authorities such knowledge 
limited the Church’s sway over the minds of 
men respecting the supernatural aspects of 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 169 


their religion. People were asked to accept 
blindly upon faith, the impossible. Through- 
out the history of Christianity, its adherents 
have been intimidated through fear of a pagan 
hell, to accept an irrational mental process, on 
the supposition that the system of Christianity 
stood or fell upon acceptance or rejection of 
an unthinkable hypothesis. 

Had it not been for the handicap of its 
deistic conceptions and doctrines, Christianity 
might have been by this time, the generally 
accepted religion of the world. Not only that, 
but millions, who are nominally classed as 
Christians, because they live in countries 
where Christianity is the prevailing system, 
but are alienated from it due to its irrational 
deistic doctrines, might otherwise be its most 
zealous devotees. Such doctrines as the Church 
still persists in insisting upon as fundamental, 
are incompatible with mental attainments and 
progress in other spheres of development. As 
a resuit of the uncompromising attitude the 
Church maintains respecting the doctrines 
alluded to, throngs of men remain unchal- 
lenged by its appeal. The Sociological-Reli- 
gious Institute, an organization comparable to 
the Russell Sage and Carnegie Foundations, 
organized in New York in 1921 for the pur- 
pose of studying religious conditions in the 


170 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


United States, publishes some amazing facts 
relative to religious conditions. It chose In- 
diana as a typical state in which to make a 
comprehensive survey upon which to base its 
estimates for the entire country. If there is 
any question regarding the trustworthiness of 
its findings, without doubt it errs on the side 
of minimizing the true conditions rather than 
exaggerating them. The Sociological Religious 
Institute’s report discloses that 1,960,000 per- 
sons in Indiana—6214 per cent of its popula- 
tion—do not belong to and are not affillated with 
any church, Protestant, Jewish, or Catholic. 
Five hundred and thirty-four thousand persons 
under twenty-five years of age do not attend 
any chureh-school. Moreover, the report dis- 
closed that the schools were poorly housed, in- 
adequately equipped, loosely organized and 
superficially conducted. Basing its estimate 
on Indiana, it showed there are fifteen thou- 
sand murders and homicides committed in the 
United States every year, not to mention the 
hundreds of thousands of lesser crimes. Over 
four billion dollars’ worth of property is stolen 
in the United States every year. It costs the 
United States government six hundred thou- 
sand dollars per year just to guard its mail 
sacks. Numerous other findings in this survey 
indicate gross Christian inefficiency. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 171 


But signs of Christianity’s decline are more 
numerous and pronounced in Kurope than in 
America. Dr. George Stewart of New York 
City, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical 
Society of England, and a member of a special 
survey committee of the Near East Relief, in 
a recent article in ‘*The Current History 
Magazine,’’ reporting on religious conditions 
in Europe furnishes evidence that at least 
Protestantism in Europe is in a most critical 
condition. Dr. Stewart’s travels extended over 
fourteen countries. He writes, ‘‘ Protestantism . 
lives in an atmosphere of defeat, of hatred, 
of greed and fear—the four outstanding char- 
acteristics of the post-war turmoil in each of 
the warring countries.’’ Blame for the War 
and the disaster that has followed in its wake, 
and disillusionment regarding the transform- 
ing power of Christianity appear to be chiefly 
responsible for the present conditions. <Ac- 
cording to Dr. Stewart, Protestantism in 
Europe suffers from lack of moral and finan- 
cial support; and as a result its schools, col- 
leges and orphanages are closed; its churches 
destroyed by the armies are not rebuilt; its 
clergy is depleted and poorly supported; it 
has no press with which to propagate its cause 
and its prestige is negligible. It can not be 
alleged that this survey is the biased report 


172 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


of a prejudiced emissary, but from a man, who 
might be expected to minimize the critical con- 
ditions which exist in those countries. 

When to the foregoing is added the situa- 
tions alluded to in the introductory chapter 
of this work, wherein it was pointed out that 
since the signing of the Armistice, over a mii- 
lion former Roman Catholics and Protestants 
in Czecho-Slovakia have withdrawn from those 
branches and have declared themselves with- 
out church affiliations of any kind; and which 
- was supplemented by the statements concern- 
ing the bitter controversies raging between the 
‘‘fundamentalist’’ and ‘‘modernist’’ groups 
both in America and England, the contention 
is materially strengthened. 

Nor are those all the evidences that Chris- 
tianity fails to challenge an ever-increasing 
number of its constituents. In the English- 
speaking world, at least, a large number of per- 
sons are finding substitutes for the Church in 
the form of fraternal and semi-fraternal or- 
ganizations and clubs, such as the Kiwanis, 
Rotary, Lions, ete., where without regard for 
nationality, denomination, or creed, the mem- 
bers find a medium for at least a phase of reli- 
gious expression untainted by barbaric mys- 
ticism. Those and many similar organizations 
are based on the Golden Rule and the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 173 


‘‘brotherhood of man,’’ and whether conscious 
of it or not, are performing a function of the 
Church. 3 

Another reason why Christianity is not ap- 
pealing to the masses as it once did, is because 
it lacks cohesion and a worthy ambition. 
While its more than two hundred sects into 
which it is separated furnish unlimited inde- 
pendence of thought, at the same time they 
operate against unity. The result is Chris- 
tianity 1s not federated and has not a definite 
constructive program to which the whole 
system subscribes. True, a number of the 
stronger sects have a general understanding 
regarding extension work among other sys- 
tems, but their efforts are largely of an evan- 
gelical nature and are devoted chiefly to propa- 
gating the doctrines that have been handicap- 
ping it for centuries. The nearest approach 
to a federation of the sects of Christianity cal- 
culated to formulate such a program as is 
needed, was the Inter-Churech World Move- 
ment.’ But no sooner did it focus the gaze of 
the public on questionable practises employed 
by one of the world’s largest industrial en- 
terprises, than the financial support of the 
monied interests was withdrawn and _ the 
project collapsed. 


1 Literary Digest, Jan. 30-26, ‘‘The Church in the Seat With 
Caesar. ’’ 


174 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Hven the somewhat federated missionary 
program executed by a few of the larger sects 
of Christianity just alluded to, furnish addi- 
tional evidences of decline from a different 
quarter. The monumental efforts put forth 
by them and the enormous sums of money they 
have expended during the last century alone, 
in an endeavor to win adherents of other reli- 
gious systems, not only have been out of all 
proportion to results achieved, but because of 
the bigotry of Christianity’s exponents and 
the superiority manifested by Christians gen- 
erally toward other religious systems, together 
with the treatment accorded them through 
unequal treaties and otherwise, the whole 
structure of Christianity in both the Near and 
Far East is jeopardized.’ Members of other 
systems of religion, while intrigued by the 
‘‘brotherhood of man’’ teaching of Jesus and 
the Golden Rule, have discovered that the 
actions of Christian nations do not always 
square with that precept. They evince a dis- 
position to express the ethics of Jesus through 
a medium of their own rather than through 
one of an imperialistic nature.’ 

The foregoing facts and statistics are evi- 
dences that Christianity has lost much of its 

1 Literary Digest, Nov. 28-25, ‘<China’s Religious Runnymede. ’’ 


2Literary Digest, Nov. 21-25, ‘‘ Where the Christianity of 
Christendom Fails. ’’ 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 175 


vitality. They are symptoms of disintegra- 
tion. ‘That it has passed the peak of its devel- 
opment, no more convineing proof could be 
cited than had it been as virile as it should 
have been and as its promulgators claimed for 
it; and had it had a definite constructive 
program, the World War never could have 
been fought. It is one of the most inerim- 
inating indictments that the guns of Christen- 
dom—not in the grasp of an outside foe—but 
in the hands of its most zealous devotees, 
should be directed at its most cherished and 
splendid monuments. It is a sad commentary 
on Christianity that the Cathedrals of Amiens, 
Liege, Ypres, and Strasburg, should become 
the targets for the shells hurled by both 
Protestant and Catholic, in a land where the 
Reformation had its rise. 

Do not the foregoing facts tend to prove 
that religious systems like all other things are 
temporal? If Christianity did not conform 
to the inexorable law of being born, attaining 
maturity, decline and death, it would be the 
erand exception of Nature. 

Whatever success the Christian religious 
system has achieved—and there are few people 
who would deny that it has attained success— 
probably has been due more to the new moral 
code and the new ethics embraced in the sys- 


176 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


tem, than to its doctrines. ‘Those factors have 
made for growth and good, in spite of the 
reversive doctrines and principles, and the 
coercive methods of its self-appointed ex- 
ponents. It is admitted that Christianity has 
in it the elements of progress, even though it 
fails to recognize it in its teachings. Subject 
to the law of growth, it is not cognizant of the 
law. ‘There is not an idea expressed by Jesus 
that would indicate that he perceived such a 
thing as development in the world. To him 
things were fixed, or stationary. He believed 
the present status to be immovable. There is 
not a parable among the entire collection that 
says: the ‘‘kingdom of heaven’’ is a progres- 
sive kingdom. Had he discerned the law of 
progress, there would have been no need for 
his atonement. Man would ultimately attain 
salvation through development. 

That Jesus was sincere in all he said and 
did, few people if any, will deny. Mistaken 
ideas concerning some matters and being too 
susceptible to the influences of inferior reli- 
gious systems, only argue for the human and 
mortal nature of his being. That his new 
philosophy of religion caused the abandon- 
ment of many things erroneous and unreal, is 
readily admitted. That the ethics and new 
moral code formulated by him have stood the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION Lie 


tests of reason and experience for nearly two 
thousand years, is the highest test of their 
truth and worth. When Mr. H. G. Wells was 
asked by the publishers of the ‘* American 
Magazine”’ to name the six greatest men of his- 
tory in his estimation, he placed Jesus at the 
head of the list. Mr. Wells explained that he 
based his estimate on achievement and influ- 
ence on the world. In that connection it was in- 
teresting to note that he named Mohammed 
and Gautama Buddha for second and third 
places respectively, viewed from the same 
standpoint. The testimony of results is the 
highest tribute that can be paid to Jesus. 
Some one has voiced this eloquent eulogy of 
him: 


‘‘The calendar of the years begins with him; and the 
anniversary of his birth is the festival of the civilized 
world. Above the storm-clouds of religious controversy 
that have raged for more than nineteen hundred years, 
his colossal personality towers aloft into the heaven of 
calm dominion. On his shoulders rest the sorrows and 
tribulations of the entire human race. For over nine- 
teen centuries, millions of people in the hour of trial 
have found solace in the name of Jesus. To-day the 
village of his birth is a shrine, to which, annually thou- 
sands journey to do homage to his name.’’ 









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THE NEWER DISPENSATION 





CHAPTER XVII 


IN the first division of this work was traced 
the steps of religious progress under the Old 
Dispensation, upon which a considerable por- 
tion of the New Dispensation founded by 
Jesus was based. In the second division our 
aim has been to analyze the doctrines and 
teachings of the New Dispensation, ascertain 
their origins and precedents and determine 
which of them constitute contributions to the 
religious progress of the world. It is now our 
task to survey the history of civilization dur- 
ing the last nineteen hundred years and note 
the principal changes that have taken place 
along the various lines of activity employed 
by the race, with a view to showing the prog- 
ress exhibited through such change. In doing 
so, it is not the intention to tire the reader by 
entering into all details of such matters, such 
as showing all the transitional steps; but 
merely to give a bird’s-eye view of civilization 
during this period. Such a recitation appears 
necessary in order that the claims hereinafter 
made may appear reasonable. If it can be 

181 


182 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


shown that contributions to religious progress 
of sufficient moment have been made since the 
beginning of the Christian Ira to warrant the 
suggestion of a Newer Dispensation, it will 
be because transformations many and great 
have taken place. Neither progress or retro- 
gression ever happens under stationary con- 
ditions. Whether anything moves forwards 
or backwards, it 1s conditioned by variation. 
That the modifications that have taken place 
in all departments of social activity during the 
last nineteen hundred years, exceed by far 
those for the previous corresponding period, 
after consideration, it 1s believed few people 
will deny. Moreover, it is expected that the 
majority of persons will readily admit that 
the results attendant upon those mutations 
have been momentous. 

Another factor that should be taken into 
consideration in this connection is the mo- 
mentum gained by civilization as it moves. 
Civilization ean not be said to be over three 
thousand years old. Prior to that time no 
stage of racial development reached higher 
than the barbaric state. But since the time 
when portions of the race attained the civilized 
status, its development has been at least twice 
as rapid as before. Surely the eivilizing in- 
fluences have been multiplied during even the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 183 


last five hundred years. And have increased 
more during the past one hundred years than 
for the four hundred years previous. Each 
goal attained serves as a base from which to 
launch still other campaigns of achievement. 
It is with a society as with an individual: the 
educated person accomplishes infinitely more 
and has the capacity for enjoying vastly more 
than a person having no education. He moves 
faster to his objective. He spends time and 
money to educate himself in order that he may 
vain more time and money in the end; that he > 
may have more of the fruits of the world of 
whatever nature he desires; that he may the 
sooner realize his ideal. So civilization 
spreads; becomes more general and of a higher 
quality. With the added velocity imparted to 
civilization during the last nineteen hundred 
years, the changes ought to be far more 
numerous and the progress considerably 
greater, than for the corresponding period 
immediately preceding. It is confidently ex- 
pected that such can be shown to be the case. 

The new philosophy of religion, the ‘‘king- 
dom of heaven’’ was formulated a little over 
nineteen hundred years ago. It cannot be said 
to have been established until three centuries 
later, when it was chosen by Constantine to 
be the official religion of Rome. That fact 


184 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


assured its success if there were no other rea- 
sons. Prior to that time it experienced the 
bitterest struggles and the fiercest competition. 
Considering first the great political changes 
that have taken place since the establishment 
of Christianity, attention is directed to Rome. 
Karly in the Christian Era, the Western 
Roman Empire succumbed to the perpetual 
attacks of the Goths, Visi-Goths and Franks; 
so that out of it were carved the Latinized and 
Germanic states of Europe. The Eastern 
Roman Empire, or Byzantium held together 
much longer, but finally yielded in the fifteenth 
century to the assaults of the Turks and was 
swallowed by the Ottoman Empire. During 
this period, the British Empire, probably the 
greatest, all things considered, the world has 
ever witnessed was born and has grown to 
maturity. It comprises the largest number of 
square miles in area and the largest number 
of inhabitants under one jurisdiction of any 
on the globe. One-fourth of the land and one- 
fourth of the inhabitants of the earth belong 
to the British Empire. Its present area is over 
12,500,000 square miles. Large portions lie in 
each of the five grand divisions of the world. 
The population of this vast empire numbers 
more than 400,000,000 inhabitants. Assyria, 
Chaldea, Egypt, Rome, in the height of their 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 185 


glory never approximated in area or in- 
habitants the British Kmpire. Yet it has 
accomplished this feat within the last nineteen 
hundred years. Size and numbers are not the 
only distinctions enjoyed by this empire. It is 
one of the greatest civilizing agencies in the 
world. Wherever the Union Jack goes, law 
and order and sanitation follow. Yet its sub- 
jects enjoy as much liberty and are as free 
from interference by the government as any 
on the earth. The British Empire has been 
the world’s greatest colonizer. It has planted 
the seed of civilization in the most benighted 
and remotest districts of the world and the 
leaven of such influence is slowly but gradually 
spreading. 

Nor is the British Empire the only one that 
has arisen since the beginning of the Christian 
Kra. Another great empire has attained at 
least the adolescent stage since then, Russia, 
which is the second largest in the world from 
the standpoint of area. The Empire of Russia 
has an area of over 8,291,429 square miles— 
the greatest lying all together of any empire 
in existence not excepting China. When it is 
contemplated that in less than twelve hundred 
years semi-savage tribes of different stocks 
have been organized into an empire of that 
magnitude, not only have there been great 


186 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


changes attendant thereon, but the progress 
of that people has been prodigious. Plunged 
into a state of chaos through changes brought 
about by the World War whereby the govern- 
ment of Russia made the unprecedented tran- 
sition from almost an absolute monarchy to 
a communistic one, makes it impossible at 
present to determine whether such a radical 
change as she has undergone will prove per- 
manent or not. However, the long-standing 
insistent demand upon a large element in 
Russia for a more democratic form of govern- 
ment, 1s some evidence of a capacity to ex- 
tricate themselves from their present dilemma 
even though the government loses some of its 
extreme democratic features. 

But the rise of the British and Russian 
Iimpires since the beginning of the Christian 
Era are not more momentous than the dis- 
covery of the Western Hemisphere com- 
prising the continents of North and South 
America by Columbus in 1492—less than five 
hundred years ago. The two grand divisions 
of North and South America form a con- 
tinuous body of land over 10,500 miles long 
and more than 3,000 miles broad at its greatest 
width and comprise an area of over 15,750,000 
square miles. The two continents of North 
and South America are the second largest 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 187 


isolated land masses on the globe. ‘They com- 
prise three-tenths of the total land surface of 
the earth. The history of the exploration, 
colonization and wresting of these continents 
from the savages; the development of the 
natural resources; the building of cities, towns 
-and villages, railroads, highways, bridges and 
electrical communication lines, need only to 
be mentioned in order for one to realize that 
the discovery of the Americas was the greatest 
political event in more than two thousand 
years. The changes entailed by their dis- 
covery and the bringing under subjection of 
such vast areas is the most conclusive evidence 
of material progress than can be mentioned. 
On these two grand divisions are the Do- 
minion of Canada, the republics of the 
United States of America, Mexico, Brazil, 
Argentine, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, 
Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Brit- 
ish, French and Dutch Guiana, besides those of 
Central America. In addition to the fore- 
going should be included the vast tracts lying 
within the Arctic circle, which are a part of 
the North American continent. 

But political progress has not been all of 
one kind. During the last nineteen hundred 
years there have been enormous changes made 
in the forms of government which have been 


188 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


productive of religious as well as material 
progress. The trend of government has been 
from that of an absolute monarchy towards 
that of a pure democracy. At the beginning 
of the Christian Era there was not a republic 
in the world. There had been three prior to 
that time, those of Greece, Rome and Carthage, 
none of them extending representation to all 
classes of citizens. In 1914 when the World 
War started there were only five republes in 
Europe: France, Switzerland, Portugal and 
the two tiny republics of Andorra and San 
Marino. Yet each of the monarchies of Hurope 
before the World War, excepting one, had 
many democratic features. The reservation is 
that of Turkey. Prior to the World War she 
was an absolute monarchy there being no 
vestige of representative government in that 
country. ‘To-day she is rated as a republic and 
actually dominated the Balkan settlement. 

Turning to the Western Hemisphere: there 
is not at present and never has been, an inde- 
pendent monarchy in it. Canada of course, 
as well as the three Guianas in South 
America, and a few smaller dependencies are 
colonies of monarchies, but in reality they are 
representative governments and to all intents 
and purposes are republics. 

Since a republican form of government re- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 189 


sults from a demand on the part of subjects 
for a chance to be heard and a hand in making 
the laws that govern them and the form of 
government they wish to live under, it is a sign 
of greater intelligence on the part of the sub- 
jects. 

Just to the extent that people become en- 
hghtened do they refuse to waive their rights 
and delegate their authority. But the attain- 
ment of representation in government usually 
comes at the end of a bitter struggle. Gen- 
erally, it is the fruit of revolution. Absolute, 
or even lmited monarchs, are most reluctant 
to relinquish their power. The old doctrine 
of ‘‘the divine right of kings,’’ has been the 
chief bulwark of the despot. In our branch 
of civilization it no doubt had its origin in the 
Israelitish nation, whose government was a 
theocracy. Jehovah was the head of the nation 
and government. The patriarchal ruler or 
king was the ‘‘Lord’s anointed.’’ In the day 
of the patriarchs and kings of Israel, the 
rulers were held sacred by their subjects. In 
the episode recorded in Second Samuel where 
David with his band came by stealth at night 
to Saul’s camp and while Saul slept, cut off 
the skirt of his coat instead of taking his life 
as they easily might have done, was due to the 
reverence subjects had for the ‘‘Lord’s 


190 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


anointed.’’ Later, after time for meditation, 
David’s conscience troubled him and he re- 
eretted that he had even done that, because 
Saul was the mundane representative of 
Jehovah. 

The doctrine of ‘‘the divine right of kings’”’ 
since the beginning of the Christian Era, prob- 
ably made its first permanent surrender of 
authority to the Swiss people in 1291 when the 
Swiss defeated the Austrians at Morgenthau. 
Nominal freedom of the Swiss was achieved 
by 1474. By 1499 Switzerland was practically 
an independent republic. There had been a 
score or more of mediaeval petty republics, 
principalities and free cities, but they proved 
impermanent. Among them may be mentioned 
the Lombard Communes, Mantua, Susa, 
Piedmont, Florence, Milan, Padua, Pia- 
cenza, Treviso, Modena, Cremona, Vicenza, 
Bologna, Venice, the cities of the Hanseatic 
League, Iceland, the Dutch Republic and 
others. The two small republics of San 
Marino and Andorra are remnants of the 
mediaeval republics. 

The next blow struck at the doctrine of 
‘divine right’? was in England. After a series 
of insurrections that culminated in the ‘‘Glor- 
ious Revolution’’ in 1688 a.p., the English 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 191 


people procured full representation in govern- 
ment and the Bill of Rights, the guarantee of 
inglish liberty. 

In the United States, any remnant of that 
theory that may have been cherished by an 
Hnglish monarch, even in view of concessions 
made at home, was dispelled by the Revolu- 
tionary War in 1776. The notion that colonies 
were chattels must have been predicated on 
the notion that kings ruled by ‘‘divine right.’’ 
When it came to taxation without representa- 
tion the American colonists did not have much 
respect for the sacredness of kingly authority. 

The theocratic doctrine of kings received its 
death knell in France at the conclusion of the 
Hrench Revolution in 1799. Since that event, 
_ no monarchical aspirant has ever had the 
remotest chance of reviving monarchical gov- 
ernment in that country. True, there is a 
monarchistic political party in France, but its 
members are few and its strength negligible. 

The next European people to dispute this 
ancient doctrine was Portugal. She had en- 
joyed a constitutional government since 1853 
and for a temporary period prior to that time. 
However, it was not until August, 1911, at the 
conclusion of a nation-wide strike, precipitated 
chiefly because of unequal franchise rights, a 


192 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


national assembly was formed, a constitution 
was signed and a president elected, making 
Portugal an independent republic. 

Thus far, all the examples of the trend in 
gvovernment from a monarchical to that of a 
more democratic form have been in Hurope. 
Up to this time, the Orient has but one 
example, China. Ever since the Boxer Re- 
belhon in China in 1900 and the inauguration 
by United States Secretary of State, Hon. 
John Hay of the ‘‘open door’’ policy in 
that country, China has undergone enormous 
change and development. In February, 1911, 
the Ta Tsing dynasty came to an end. China 
was declared a republic and Dr. Yuan became 
her first president. The government adopted 
a flag of five colors, the bands or stripes repre- 
senting China, Manchuria, Mongolia, Tibet, 
and Turkestan. Japan and India are the only 
nations left in Asia that have not completely 
thrown off the yoke of monarchy and disputed 
the doctrine of ‘‘rule by divine right.’’ But 
ever since her war with Russia, every one of 
whose officers could read and write, Japan has 
realized the disadvantage of ignorance and 
lack of education. Since then, she has been 
making enormous progress along educational 
lines. It requires no special gift of prophecy 
to predict that Japan will be a republic within 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 193 


the life of the present generation. India like- 
wise is chafing under even nominal monarch- 
ical control. 

All the foregoing examples of governments 
changing from an autocratic to a more 
democratic form have taken place prior to the 
World War. A wholesale transition from 
monarchical to republican form of government 
has taken place since the signing of the Armis- 
ticens Lhe theory’ of the’ <’divine right of 
kings’’ was probably for all time disposed of 
by that event. ‘T'rue, there are a number of 
monarchies left in the world. But the minds 
of their rulers have been disabused of the idea 
of divine authority and such monarchies as 
remain are largely republican in form. The 
defeat of Germany and the forcing of the 
Kaiser to abdicate has probably removed the 
last fanatical ruler cherishing that doctrine. 
Whatever fears, if any, the Kaiser may have 
entertained regarding the outcome of the War, 
that Germany would emerge a republic was 
probably farthest from his thoughts. But that 
change was a result of the conflict that has 
raged for centuries between subjects and 
despots obsessed with the idea of ‘‘divine 
right.’’ It was in harmony with the law of 
political development—the trend from mon- 
archical to democratic form of government. In 


194 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


other words: it was not because of the trivial 
excuses given by the Kaiser, but a case of 
monarchy vs. democracy. It was succinctly 
stated by President Wilson, when he said in 
his declaration of war with Germany, it was a 
contest to determine whether or not free gov- 
ernment should survive or perish. 

With a large Socialistic representation in 
the Reichstag, a Socialist mayor of an im- 
portant city like Berlin as well as the country 
being highly democratized economically, the 
KXaiser no doubt saw that it would be a matter 
of only a short time until the democratic spirit 
would overthrow the monarchical rule. By 
employing the same tactics as did Bismarck in 
1870, the Kaiser sought to distract the atten- 
tion of the people from their grievances 
against the government and unite them in a 
project against an imaginary enemy from 
without. From having the result expected the 
direct opposite obtained; so, not only did Ger- 
many herself emerge a republic, but a flock 
of European republics was the result. It has 
been shown that prior to the War there were 
only five republics in Europe. Since the 
signing of the Armistice, there are eighteen: 
Switzerland, KFrance, Portugal, Germany, 
Poland, Czecho-Slovakia, Finland, Esthonia, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Ukrania, the Caucasian 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 195 


States (comprising Daghestan, Georgia and 
Azerbaijam), Andorra, Armenia, ‘'urkey, San 
Marino, Austria and Russia. 

The only results of the World War of a 
beneficial and constructive nature so far dis- 
eernible are the democracies it contributed to 
the world. Probably no event in history, cer- 
tainly no war, has contributed more to the 
cause of democracy than did the World War. 
What a staggering price liberty is forced to 
pay! Freedom, perhaps the most priceless 
thing in the world outside of life itself, has 
had to fight for every inch of ground it ever 
gained. Yet it is chiefly on free soil that prog- 
ress takes place. Hreedom of body results in 
freedom of mind. Solving problems of gov- 
ernment and responsibility in political affairs 
develops latent faculties and results in prog- 
ress. ‘The fruits of such pertain to every 
sphere of man’s activities. Anything that 
widens man’s horizon and increases his knowl- 
edge, even in the most material way, reacts on 
his spiritual nature. Every great step in 
religious progress has been intimately con- 
nected with some material circumstance. 
From an event having the result contemplated 
in the beginning it generally happens that an 
entirely different and far greater benefit ob- 
tains. Our own Civil War furnishes an 


196 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


example. At first dimly conceived of, if at 
all, freedom of the slaves was the result. By 
the abolition of slavery in the United States 
a precedent was established and a great moral 
truth that slavery is wrong was taught the 
world. ‘To-day no eivilized nation counte- 
nances it. So even in war, we see the principle 
enunciated by Habakkuk illustrated. It is 
seen how the forces of evil are made to serve 
the ends of good. 


CHAPTER XVITI 


AN event of more than usual importance 
that took place during the period under con- 
sideration and which materially influenced 
and changed the subsequent history of the 
world was the founding of the Mohammedan, 
or Islamic religion. The Islamic, or Moslem 
religion as it is also called was founded by 
Mohammed in 622 4.p. It is unnecessary for 
the purposes of this work to go into many of 
the doctrines or tenets of Mohammedanism, 
it being sufficient to show the general nature 
of that religious system and its influence on 
the world. 

Mohammedanism, or Islamism, is a half 
sister to Christianity. Like Christianity it 
grew out of Judaism. Both systems belong to 
the Semitic branch of religion. Like Chris- 
tianity it bears the marks of influence of other 
religions of that day, but not as much so as 
does Christianity. That is probably due to the 
fact that it was founded several centuries 
later. 

Mohammedanism resembles both Judaism 
and Christianity. A study of its general 

197 


198 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


nature leads one to suspect that it might have 
been patterned after both. It looks as though 
there might have been a thought in the mind 
of its founder to combine the good features of 
each of those systems. 

Like Judaism it is a social order as well as 
a religious system. The moral and ethical 
codes of Mohammedanism appear to be the 
statutes governing the daily life of the people 
and their relationships with each other as well 
as the precepts and injunctions of their reli- 
gion. The two are inextricably woven. Like 
Judaism its deistic conception is purely mono- 
theistic. Another feature they have in common 
is, both were uncompromising with idolatry. 
True, the Israelites lapsed into idolatry many 
times, but it never had any sanction in that 
nation’s religious precepts or tenets. Moham- 
medanism has always been intolerant of 
paganism in all its forms. It resembles 
Judaism again, in that it has its sacred city, 
Mecea, to which devout Moslems are expected 
to make annual pilgrimages similar to those 
made by the Jews to Jerusalem on the occasion 
of the Feast of the Passover. 

Mohammedanism resembles Christianity in 
that the Koran, the Bible of Mohammedanism, 
contains many quotations from the Old Testa- 
ment of Judaism. That is not strange since 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 199 


it grew out of Judaism the same as did Chris- 
tianity. Like Christianity Mohammedanism 
has its religious hero and alleges many super- 
natural things in connection with his life, but 
not in respect to his birth. The method by 
which the Koran was communicated to 
Mohammed is probably the most miraculous 
thing alleged. Another similarity it bears to 
Christianity is that Abu-Bekr is the St. Paul 
of Mohammedanism. As Christianity prob- 
ably owes its existence to the early organiza- 
tion of churches and centers of Christian 
influence by its very able convert, St. Paul, so 
Mohammedanism owes to Abu-Bekr, the 
father-in-law of Mohammed and first caliph 
after his death, the perpetuation of Islamism. 
Abu-Bekr was an organizer and a missionary. 
His able leadership was available at the most 
critical stage of that religion’s existence—the 
earliest stage. 

Mohammedanism shares with Christianity 
the doctrine of the Resurrection showing the 
influence of the Egyptian religion. Few of 
the religions originating immediately preced- 
ing and after the Christian Era, that did not 
incorporate that doctrine. It is noted in 
Zoroastrianism, Mithraism and others. 

Mohammedanism is similar to Christianity 
in another respect: it is an aggressive reli- 


200 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


gion. It is missionary in spirit. While not 
exactly recognized as one of its principles, still 
the tacit understanding to wage holy wars 
was firmly rooted in the minds of its followers. 
Jn the early days at least, every Moslem looked 
forward to a world-wide conquest having for 
its aim the bringing the inhabitants of all 
countries under the banner of Mohammedan- 
ism, or Islamism. The Moslems held eut three 
propositions to those it conquered: embrace 
Mohammedanism, pay tribute, or suffer death. 
At the present time, due no doubt to the civi- 
lizing influences several centuries of social 
contact with other religious systems have con- 
tributed a far more lberal policy is in effect. 

The Mohammedan religion is the third larg- 
est religious system in the world. Only Chris- 
tianity and Confucianism are larger. Moham- 
medanism numbers more than 220,000,000 
adherents. It is the religion professed by the 
inhabitants of Turkey, Syria, most of Pales- 
tine, Arabia, Persia, Asia Minor, Afghanistan, 
Baluchistan, Turkestan and the Malay Penin- 
sula. Besides there are over 97,000,000 
Mohammedans in India and more than 25,- 
000,000 in China, also a large number in Egypt. 

The literature of the Koran is not the equal 
to either the Old Testament of Judaism, or the 
New Testament of Christianity. Its teachings 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 201 


are not portrayed in incomparable parables 
such as were employed by Jesus. Neither are 
they couched in the lofty language character- 
istic of many Old Testament narratives. Yet 
they subserved a purpose that on the whole 
has resulted in good. 

What then has Mohammedanism given to 
the world that is of a constructive nature ? 

The contributions of Mohammedanism to 
the religious progress of the world are chiefly 
these: first, it has been one more agency de- 
voted tomoraluphft. The Koran contains very 
strict moral laws. For example on murder: 
when one Moslem kills another maliciously, he 
is punished by being consigned to hell forever. 
But should it be by accident, he may escape 
eternal punishment by certain expiations. It 
has very strict laws against drunkenness and 
eambling. The Koran states: 


‘““They will ask thee concerning wine and lots; answer 
in both there is great sin and also some things are of 
use unto men; but their sinfulness is greater than their 


wp) 


use. 


In the second place: the Koran contains many 
excellent statutes on marriage, divorce, prop- 
erty, wills and crimes of all kinds. The 
Mohammedans who live up to them are worthy 
and entitled to the respect of any people. 
After all, they may come as hear conforming 


202 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


to their religious and social statutes as the 
adherents of some of the other religious sys- 
tems do to theirs. In the third place: prob- 
ably the most important and valuable con- 
tribution made by Mohammedanism to the 
world is that it has perpetuated and kept alive 
the monotheistic conception. In Islamism 
there is no God but Allah. The personality of 
Allah is not divided. In the deistic conception 
of Islamism, the polytheism of the pagan reli- 
eions of Egypt and India have made no 
impressions. The monotheistic conception 
brought by Abraham, the progenitor of the 
Hebrew race, to Canaan and which was the 
characteristic that rendered that nation unique 
in contemporaneous history has been perpe- 
tuated in all its purity by Mohammedanism, 
or Islamism. Without doubt, Mohammedan- 
ism has countenanced, sanctioned and even 
committed, many crimes. It is also true that 
charges of that nature can be preferred against 
Christianity, but even so, Mohammedanism 
has been a powerful factor in the civilization 
of the world. It retrieved the standard of 
monotheism when the Jewish nation had been 
destroved and the Jewish people dispersed, no 
longer able to preserve it inviolate. Tor this, 
if for no other reason, Mohammedanism has 
performed a great service for the world. 


CHAPTER XIX 


ANOTHER source out of which grew steps of 
religious progress during the period under 
consideration were the great movements that 
took place. Passing over all those of a minor 
nature attention is called directly to the 
Crusades that were launched in Kurope against 
the Moslems, in an effort to recover Jerusalem 
and the Holy Sepulcher for Christianity. A 
brief survey of the political situation of that 
time will assist the reader in appreciating 
what was involved. 

In the year 66 4.D. a Jewish revolt cecurred 
in Palestine, the Jews gaining possession of 
Jerusalem. Vespasian was sent by Rome to 
suppress the insurrection. In the year 70 A.D., 
after one of the most cruel sieges in history, 
the city was captured, the Temple burned and 
the walls and buildings razed to the ground. 
The population numbering something like 
thirty-five to forty-five thousand Jews were 
scattered. .This event is known in history as 
the Dispersion. Jerusalem remained in ruins 
until 131 4.D. when Hadrian, the Roman em- 
peror contemplating the restoration of pagan 

203 


204 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


worship in a measure rebuilt it. The scattered 
Jews and the remnant that was left stirred 
up another revolt. Hadrian decided that 
rather than furnish another center for Jewish 
disturbance he would abandon his project; so 
he made of it a Roman colony and prohibited 
the Jews from entering it. Nothing further 
is known of its history until the time of 
Constantine. Upon his adopting Christian- 
ity as the State religion of Rome and 
through the entreaties of his mother, Helena, 
he built the church of the Holy Sepulcher. 
Pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem from all 
parts of that and other Christian countries and 
it became a shrine of Christendom. But 
in 614 a.p., Jerusalem was captured by 
KKhorsru of Persia. However, it was retaken 
by Heraclius, the Roman emperor, in 625 
A.D. In 6387 «.D., 1t was captured by the 
Moslems under the caliph, Omar. A long line 
of Arabian caliphs ruled until they were suc- 
ceeded by the Seljuk Turks. Under the 
Turkish rulers, the Christians were perse- 
cuted, the holy places defiled, their commerce 
was prohibited and conditions became un- 
bearable. Religious feeling and commercial 
interests in Christian Europe were deeply 
aroused. Churches had been turned into 
mosques and Christian pilgrims visiting the 


Or 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 20 


Holy Land were insulted and injured. Pope 
Gregory VII (Hildebrand) in 1074 a.p., ap- 
pealed to the western nations for volunteers 
to rescue it from the Moslems, but his appeal 
went unheeded. Conditions in Palestine con- 
tinued to grow worse. Finally in 1095 -A.D. 
under the preaching of Peter the Hermit, who 
had visited the Holy Land, Pope Urban II 
called a council of the various Kuropean coun- 
tries. The council was that of Clermont and 
met at Piacenza and was attended by ambas- 
sadors from all the nations. After Peter had 
described to them the deplorable conditions, 
they unanimously voted to undertake the 
Crusade. 

That same year a number of detachments 
that were hastily recruited and poorly organ- 
ized set out. Not having been provided with 
adequate supplies for such an expedition and 
being put to the necessity of foraging off the 
countries through which they passed they 
were almost completely destroyed before 
reaching Constantinople. The First Crusade 
in reality was undertaken a year later, in 1096 
when Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lower 
Lorraine; Hugh of Vermandois, brother of 
Philp, king of France; Baldwin, brother of 
Godfrey; Robert II of Flanders; Robert If 
of Normandy, brother of Wilham II, king of 


206 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


England: Raymond of Toulouse; Bohemond 
of Tarentum; Tancred of Apulia and others, 
in command of 100,000 recruits marched to- 
ward the Holy Land. The various divisions 
of this Crusade met in Constantinople on 
Christmas of that year. There they were 
delayed for a while. Somewhat later, they 
crossed over to Asia by the strait of Gallipoli. 
In June, 1097 a.p., they captured Nicea, their 
first conquest. On the fourth of July that 
same year, they met and defeated a powerful 
Moslem army at Dorylaeum. They marched 
through Asia Minor to Antioch which they 
captured after a siege that lasted until June, 
1098 a.p. Their strength was very much dis- 
sipated after the siege of Antioch, so they re- 
mained nearly a year in that vicinity. In May, 
1099 a.p., they resumed their march towards 
Jerusalem. In June the attack of Jerusalem 
was begun and at the end of six weeks capi- 
tulated. The Kingdom of Jerusalem was es- 
tablished and Godfrey of Bouillon was chosen 
the first king. However, he refused to accept 
the title on the ground that he was unwilling 
to wear a king’s crown on the spot where the 
Savior had worn the crown of thorns. He 
chose for his title, that of Defender of the 
Holy Sepulcher. He died in less than a year 
and was succeeded by his brother Baldwin. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 207 


In 1144 a.p. the Saracens captured Edessa. 
This produced great consternation in all the 
Christian countries. They feared that all the 
other fruits of their victory might also fall 
again in the hands of the Moslems. Accord- 
ingly, a Second Crusade of 140,000, led by the 
German emperor, Conrad III and Louis VII, 
king of France, set out in 1147 to recover 
Kdessa. They not only failed to recapture 
Edessa, but were unable to render any as- 
sistance to the tottering State of Jerusalem. 
The Crusading armies returned to Europe twe 
vears later, in 1149. 

In 1187 the Moslems under Saladin recap- 
tured Jerusalem. That act again stirred the 
zeal of the Christians in Europe; so a Third 
Crusade was undertaken. It consisted of three 
armies led by three of the chief monarchs of 
Kurope: Frederick of Barbarossa, emperor of 
Germany; Philip Augustus, king of France; 
and Richard Coeur de Lion of England. 
Frederick’s army defeated a powerful Turk- 
ish army at Philomelium in May, 1190. Not 
long afterwards he was drowned, his death 
destroying the morale of his troops. His son 
assumed command, but shortly afterwards the 
army abandoned the expedition. The two re- 
maining armies under Plilip and Richard 
united at Messina in Sicily, where they re- 


208 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


mained until the spring of 1191. Philip 
reached the Holy Land the day before Easter 
and began the siege of Acre. Richard joined 
him somewhat later. Jealousy arose between 
the two monarchs, so that shortly after the 
fall of Acre the French abandoned the expedi- 
tion. Though Richard, single-handed, defeated 
Saladin he was unable to recapture Jeru- 
salem. He succeeded in capturing Jaffa and 
negotiated a truce with Saladin by which the 
sea-coast from Tyre to Jaffa remained with 
the Crusaders and Christians were allowed to 
visit unmolested the Holy Sepulcher. 

The Fourth Crusade promoted chiefly by 
Pope Innocent III and a few others was an 
abortive attempt to retrieve Jerusalem, being 
diverted from its original purpose. ‘The 
leaders of that Crusade lent their assistance to 
a revolution that was taking place in Constan- 
tinople. In 1203 a.p., Constantinople was cap- 
tured by the Crusaders. Jerusalem still re- 
mained with the Moslems. 

By this time the Christian forces in Kurope 
had become somewhat discouraged in their 
attempts to regain and keep Jerusalem and 
the Holy Land. They came to believe there 
was some important factor that had been over- 
looked in the kind of persons recruited. About 
that time 1212 a4.p., Stephen, a French peasant 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 209 


boy, began preaching a children’s Crusade. His 
theory being the Holy Land would be won only 
by innocent Crusaders. In the belief that chil- 
dren might accomplish what adults could not, 
an army of 30,000 French children and one 
of 20,000 German children was recruited. No 
more ill-advised project could have been under- 
taken. The fate of the Children’s Crusade 
is one of the most tragic episodes connected 
with European history. Many of the French 
children were tempted on board vessels at Mar- 
sellles and were sold into slavery. The Ger- 
man children crossed the Alps, many dying 
from the hardships endured on the march, 
others being lost at sea, while still others being 
scattered over the countries through which 
they passed. 

One would think that after suffering such 
a dire calamity as resulted from the Children’s 
Crusade, the attempt to retrieve the Holy 
Land would be abandoned. But such was 
not the case. After a lapse of only five years 
an expedition made up in Hungary, set out 
for Egypt as its objective. That army cap- 
tured Damietta, but owing to disaffection 


among the Crusaders themselves the expedi- 


tion broke up and returned. While this is 
sometimes spoken of as the Fifth Crusade, in 
reality the Fifth Crusade was led by Frederick 


210 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Il of Germany, having been promoted by 
Popes Honorius II and Gregory LX. About 
the time the expedition was ready to start a 
pestilence broke out in the army which neces- 
sitated delay. Irederick lost interest in the 
enterprise and by so doing incurred the dis- 
pleasure of Pope Gregory IX. However, the 
next year he took his expedition to the Holy 
Land. Without engaging in any battles he 
negotiated a treaty with the Sultan whereby 
Jerusalem was to be a Christian kingdom, but 
on condition that the Mohammedan religion 
would be tolerated. The treaty, however, was 
soon broken. 

The Sixth and Seventh Crusades, like the 
Hungarian expedition, were directed at Hgypt 
and were led by St. Louis IX of France. He 
considered that the Moslem power centered in 
Egypt and that a blow struck there would 
prove more effective than if directed against 
the Holy Land. He captured Damietta after 
a short siege in 1249 a.p. The difficulty his 
troops encountered in the way of swamps and 
marshes up the Nile caused him to turn back. 
His forces overtaken by the army of the 
Sultan hopelessly defeating him forced him 
to surrender Damietta which he had just eap- 
tured. Disappointed at not receiving reinforce- 
ments Louis returned home. ‘Twenty years 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 211 


later, in 1270 a.p., he launched the Seventh 
and last Crusade. An English expedition 
under Prince Edward, afterwards Edward I, 
co-operated. Louis landed his forces on the 
north coast of Africa. After having lost a 
large number of his leaders, he himself died 
at Tunis and the French Crusaders returned 
home. lidward went to Syria, but finding that 
little was to be gained concluded a truce for 
ten years likewise returning home. Some of 
the acquisitions of the Crusaders maintained 
their independence for twenty years. Finally 
the Sultan recaptured Acre in 1291 a.pD., just 
one hundred years after it had been won to 
Christendom by Richard Coeur de Lion re- 
moving the last remnant of the kingdom 
founded by the Crusaders. 

Except for a brief space during the Crusades, 
the Holy Land remained under Moslem rule 
for 1280 years. During the World War in 
December, 1917, in the Palestinian campaign 
after a short siege conducted by the British 
under General Sir EK. H. Allenby it once more 
passed into Christian hands. 

In what way did the great movement known 
as the Crusades benefit civilization and either 
directly or indirectly contribute to the relli- 
gious progress of the world? From the stand- 
point of having accomplished the thing those 


212 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


promoting them set out to do, they were utter 
failures. Moreover, judged from the motive 
that prompted them, they probably deserved 
to fail. But viewed from the standpoint of 
benefits to civilization the Crusades were 
eminent successes. It has been stated more 
than once heretofore in this work, that social 
intercourse is one of the chief factors in the 
development of race consciousness; also that 
every progressive religious step grows out of 
some material transaction. ‘The movement 
brought the people of Huropean countries in 
contact with those of Arabia. They learned 
something about Arabian institutions and cul- 
ture. They became somewhat acquainted with 
its philosophy and religion. Mathematics and 
physical science of Arabia have exerted a great 
influence on those sciences in other countries. 
Byzantine architecture is reflected in the 
Gothic architecture of Hurope. Stained glass 
making, metal working and needle working 
were far more advanced in the Kast than in 
the West. 

In addition to the foregoing there were the 
political benefits obtained. It resulted in a 
more equitable distribution of power in 
Europe. Many of the nobility lost their lives 
and thereby their rule, so that government 
became more consolidated. ‘The expenses con- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 213 


tingent on the various Crusades, resulted in a 
more general and more equitable distribution 
of wealth. They provided an opportunity for 
poor people to engage in industry and occupa- 
tions, who otherwise would have been unable 
to do so. In addition to all these they opened 
the way for commerce between the Kast and 
the West, which proved most profitable to all 
concerned and promoted a better understand- 
ing between them. Another thing, the Huro- 
pean countries found out that when it came to 
fighting, the East was fairly able to take care 
of itself. Christianity, too, needed just such 
a brush as it had with Mohammedanism. The 
check it received from Mohammedanism 
caused it to direct its attention, for a time at 
least, more to introspection than to the exten- 
sion of its domains. Christianity needed more 
thought and less zeal. Probably to the 
Crusades more than to any other factor, re- 
sulted the Renaissance, or revival of learning 
assuming many aspects. 


CHAPTER XX 


No list of movements resulting in changes 
contributing to the religious progress of the 


world would be complete that did not include 


the Reformation. Not that the Reformation 
supplied any new ideas that religion was not 
already in possession of, but because it was an 
agency assisting in purging religion of some 
of the abuses with which it was affected. After 
the rise of temporal power, the popes had been 
the head of both Church and State. Asa result, 
the Church became most intimately identified 
with politics. Because of such close relation- 
ship between Church and State, abundant op- 
portunities were afforded for abuses to enter, 
which weakened the vitality of the Church and 
destroyed its capacity for usefulness. It is a 
well-known fact that some of the popes were 
immoral and notoriously corrupt. Such a con- 
dition was recognized a long time before the 


Reformation took place. In the fifteenth cen- . 


tury the first steps were taken to rid the 
Church of some of its questionable practices. 
The attempt was made along two distinct 


lines. One method was to employ the efforts — 


214 


. 
: 
‘ 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 215 


and services of certain influential men, 
monastic orders and general councils, to bring 
about the needed changes. In other words, to 
work from within the institution. The second 
plan was to form separate organizations out- 
side of the Church, such as the Albigenses and 
the Waldenses. Neither of the two plans 
proved effective. The Reformation proper 
which came in the sixteenth century inaugu- 
rated by Martin Luther accomplished what 
neither of the former methods could perform. 
As just stated, not that the Reformation con- 
ferred any benefits by reason of new ideas not 
already possessed, but because it caused the 
Church to slough off excrescences that were 
handicapping its usefulness and defeating its 
purposes. Catholicism was the chief benefi- 
ciary of the Reformation. Luther’s slogan of 
‘‘justification by faith,’’ was not a new doc- 
trine. His chief quarrel with the Church 
was over the authority it exercised in the 
sale of indulgences and the denial to com- 
municants to interpret the Scriptures for 
themselves. There is abundant evidence that 
in the beginning Luther did not have for 
his objective separation, or division. A sepa- 
rate branch such as Protestantism was not his 
goal. Luther did not foresee the full need of 
the Church, because he did not realize the 


216 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


necessity for freeing it of mysticism and 
superstition. We are told that Melanchthon 
was the brains of the Reformation and that 
Luther was the leader. Some estimate of 
Melanchthon’s caliber is obtained, when it is 
learned he threw his ink well at the devil. Re- 
gardless of the foregoing, the movement must 
be considered in the ight of results, even if 
those results were different from those 
originally conceived. 

The Reformation was the religious aspect 
of the Renaissance. The revival of learning 
along all other lines could not help but be 
reflected by religion. People were thinking 
for themselves more than they had ever done 
before. The Church had stifled independent 
thought for centuries. People had been kept 
In ignorance. Few persons could read or 
write aad sources of knowledge had been 
denied them. Much knowledge formerly 
known was lost during the ‘‘dark ages’’ and 
had to be relearned. But with the revival of 
learning that began shortly after the Crusades, 
a marked change took place. The revival of 
learning was aided immensely by the inven- 
tion of the printing press. It made possible 
a wide diffusion of knowledge. More people 
learned to read. 'The Bible became available 
to thousands because of its being printed in 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 217 


book form, instead of on papyrus fastened to 
rollers, making it Inexpensive in comparison. 
The literature of the early Church likewise 
was made available so that individuals could 
compare what the early fathers wrote about 
the Church in the first two or three centuries, 
with the Church of the sixteenth Century. The 
art of printing made possible the distribution 
of large quantities of tracts enabling people 
to judge for themselves both sides of the con- 
troversy. People who could not read before, 
because of no special inducement to learn, 
after the printing press was invented forth- 
with acquired that accomplishment. Inde- 
pendent thinking had more to do with the 
bringmg about the Reformation than any 
other cause. Because of it, the Reformation 
ran away from its original promoters such as 
Luther and resulted in Protestantism. 

While the Reformation started in Germany 
no one country had any monopoly on it. Had 
it not started there and when it did it 
would not have been long until it would have 
originated elsewhere. The issue was already 
brewing in Switzerland. Ulrich Zwingli while 
preaching at the Cathedral in Zurich ques- 
tioned some of the teachings and practises of 
the Church. The movement grew in Zurich 
and finally a referendum was held in that city 


218 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


to decide which kind of preaching they would 
have. The Reformation party won. Other 
cities and districts throughout Switzerland 
took similar action. The cities usually re- 
turned a verdict in favor of the Reformation 
while the country districts decided against it. 
Both in Germany and Switzerland there were 
many who believed that neither the Lutheran 
or Reform branches went far enough in their 
interpretation of the New Testament. They 
were known as Anabaptists, because they re- 
jected infant baptism and held that believers 
only should be baptized. This class was per- 
secuted by Protestants and Catholics alike, 
many of them dying as martyrs to their beliefs. 

In France there was not in the beginning a 
prominent leader such as Luther in Germany 
~and Zwingli in Switzerland. Jean Jacques 
Lefever (Faber-Stapulensis) was the nearest 
approach to one. He greatly aided the Re- 
formation by translating the New ‘Testament 
into French. One of his pupils, Briconnet, 
bishop of Meaux propagated the Reformation 
movement in France by inviting preachers of 
reform views to assist him. Protestantism in 
that country did not assume much importance 
until the Frenchman, John Calvin, established 
himself at Geneva, making that city the center 
of the Reform movement. ‘The followers of 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 219 


Calvin in France were known as the Hugue- 
nots and became a political as well as a reli- 
gious party. For fifty years war was waged be- 
tween the Catholics and Huguenots in France. 
Finally, Henry of Navarre became king. 
While he himself was a Protestant he became 
a Roman Catholic and issued the Edict of 
Nantes granting a lhmited toleration to the 
- Huguenots. Through the protection of that 
edict the Huguenots greatly increased their 
numbers in France. 

The proximity of the Netherlands to Ger- 
many and their commercial relations were in 
a measure responsible for the spread of the 
Reform movement in that country. Charles V, 
while he lived and his son Philip II, his suc- 
cessor, pursued a vigorous policy of perse- 
cuting the Protestants, but were unable to 
stamp Protestantism out. Heretics were exe- 
cuted by the hundreds. Philip was deter- 
mined to root out Protestantism even if it 
ruined the country. Notwithstanding all that 
he did, the Reformation spread and gained its 
independence under the leadership of William 
of Orange. 

In England the break with the Catholic 
Chureh, which happened while the Reforma- 
tion was fomenting in other countries was not 
due to the same causes that produced it else- 


220 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


where. In England it was because the Pope 
of Rome would not grant King Henry VIII 
a divoree from Catherine, so that he could 
marry another. He took matters into his own 
hands and obtained his divorce through the 
Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry VIII had 
a law passed revoking all authority of the 
Pope in England and instituted the Episcopal 
Church as the State Church in that country. 
However, upon the accession of his daughter, 
Mary, to the throne, allegiance to the Catholic 
Church was again established. But when her 
sister, Elizabeth, succeeded to the rulership, 
her sympathies were with the Protestants al- 
though she was very discreet in her actions. 
While John Knox is usually credited with 
being the leader of the Reform movement in 
Scotland, others prepared the way for him. 
One of them was Patrick Hamilton, who was 
burned at the stake for preaching the Re- 
formation in Scotland. Another early re- 
former was George Wishart who was protected 
for a time by the nobles he succeeded in win- 
ning. But ultimately Wishart was captured 
and executed. One of his followers was John 
knox who became the leader of the movement 
in Scotland after Wishart. Knox fled to the 
continent when the persecution broke out. He 
spent some time at Geneva where he became 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 221 


unbued with the views of John Calvin, the 
French reformer. Knox returned to Scotland 
in 1559 and became the head of the Protestant 
movement in that country until his death. 

The Reformation spread to Sweden, Den- 
mark, Bohemia, Hungary and Poland. The 
leaders in those countries mostly were pupils 
of Luther. In some of those countries the 
State had espoused it before the people had a 
chance to consider it. The Reformation was 
thrust upon them. However, in Bohemia 
John Huss and his followers had prepared the 
_ way for it. 

The result was that the Reformation re- 
sulted in Protestantism, a separate branch of 
the Church. A separation, not only unpre- 
meditated by Luther, Zwingli and others in the 
beginning, but one of wide divergence and 
scope; a branch of the Church in which formal- 
ism has little, or at most, a minor part; where 
mysticism and superstition play an ever-di- 
minishing role; where religion is stripped of 
most of its grosser aspects. The untrammeled 
freedom of thought permitted by Protestant- 
ism is largely responsible for the multitude 
of religious sects to be found in its ranks. And 
that is a good symptom. It indicates not only 
independence in thought, but that the tenets 
of Christianity are being studied from all 


222 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


angles. The different sects furnish the chan- 
nels for religious expression suited to their 
adherents’ religious attainments. Time will 
reduce their number and will alter all. 

What then are the chief contributions made 
by the Reformation to the religious progress 
of the world? Progress does not consist 
wholly in the promulgation of new ideas. Re- 
hnquishment of unsound and erroneous notions 
are quite as much progressive steps as the 
expressicn of new thoughts. What a person 
does not believe, may be as big an aid to his 
development as that he does believe. The per- 
son who employs discrimination and has the 
courage in the face of majorities to reject the 
unsound and erroneous, removes the most 
formidable obstacles in the way of his develop- 
ment. The mythological and the superstitious 
interfere with the operation of one’s rational 
mental processes. It is as true of a group as 
it is of an individual. The chief contribution 
the Reformation made to religious progress 
and to society was just that. It caused the 
Cathohe Church to discard a great deal of the 
dross in religion. By its removal the Church 
was freer to move forward and perform the 
function of its destiny. It left it in a position 
to inspire greater confidence and respect, both 
on the part of those within it and without. It 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 223 


gave people a better medium through which to 
express their religion. 

The very act of Protestantism itself is an 
indication of a growing race consciousness. 
Growth is progress. Consciousness 1s moral- 
ity. Kreedom of thought guaranteed by 
Protestantism, insures a larger vision sure to 
result in further expurgation of the dross 
from religion. 


CHAPTER XXI 


SINCE the beginning of the Christian Era 
no agency has been more responsible for 
change and more fruitful of contribution of 
every kind to the progress of the world than 
has that of science. It is almost solely within 
this period that science itself has been devel- 
oped. Moreover, modern science can not be 
said to have existed before the sixteenth cen- 
tury —in reality the seventeenth century. Like 
the Reformation, it was one of the products 
of the Renaissance which in turn, was largely 
the result of the Crusades. The ‘‘revival in 
learning,’’ or the seemingly greater interest 
manifested in learning of every kind shortly 
after the Crusades, without doubt was some- 
What responsible for the interest in natural 
philosophy, as all science was then called. 
Roger Bacon in England in the thirteenth cen- 
turv had kept alive a little spark of science. 
But Copernicus and a little later, Galileo in 
the first half of the fifteenth century may be 
credited with being the fathers of modern 
science. In 1597 a.p., Galileo invented the ther- 
mometer and in 1609 A.p., the telescope with 

224 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 225 


which he discovered the satellites of Jupiter 
and the Sun’s spots the following year. Other 
scientists of that period were: Torricelli, 
Paseal, Von Guericke and Huygens, who laid 
the foundation for physical optics. Sir Isaae 
Newton, who was born the year Galileo died, 
built upon the work of Galileo and published 
in his ‘‘ Principia’’ in 1686 A.D., a complete sys- 
tem of mechanics. The following century the 
number of persons devoting their talents to 
natural philosophy was considerably aug- 
mented. Such men as Benjamin Franklin, 
Cavendish, Black, Young, Volta, Fresnel, 
Ohm, Galvani, Ampére, Davy Gauss, Faraday 
and others are included in the lst. It was 
only after the discoveries and inventions of 
Copernicus and Galileo that natural philos- 
ophy came to be differentiated into branch 
sciences, such as geology, astronomy, physics, 
chemistry and biology. Still, the end is not 
in sight. Such a vast amount of information 
has been gained concerning each of those 
branch sciences that they have been still 
further subdivided forming special sciences, 
which in turn are being still further differ- 
entiated. 

It is true that Aristotle (384-322 B.c.) laid 
the foundations of science in the wide range 
of subjects written on by him. His treatises 


226 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


on politics, rhetoric, logic, on animals and 
parts of animals, without much question, fur- 
nished at least the suggestion for subsequent 
studies of those subjects. But outside of one 
or two followers, the foundations laid by Aris- 
totle were not built upon until the rise of 
modern science in the fifteenth century. Not 
only has the development of science almost 
wholly taken place since the Christian Era, 
but it has done so within the last quarter of 
that time. Indeed, the last fifty years prob- 
ably has seen more progress in science, than 
the last four hundred years; and the last 
twenty-five years, more than the last century. 
So much has been discovered that thus far it 
has not been possible to assimilate all of it. 
Yet more and more, scientists are coming to 
realize that they have only begun; that they 
are only on the fringes of a universe of knowl- 
edge and that every discovery serves as a base 
from which to launch still greater scientific 
conquests. 

Nineteen hundred years ago people’s knowl- 
edge of geography did not extend beyond the 
bounds defined by the oceans that touched the 
lands upon which they lived and those in the 
immediate vicinity. A few wise men like Aris- 
totle knew that the earth was round and some- 
thing of its structure. Regarding astronomy, 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 227 


they surmised. that the earth revolved around 
the Sun, but they probably did not suspect 
that the Sun itself revolved around some 
center. ‘They were able to identify and name a 
few of the constellations, such as the Pleiades, 
Arcturus and Orion, but they had no concep- 
tion of the nature and number of them such 
as astronomers have of to-day. It is claimed 
by modern astronomers that only about five 
thousand stars are visible to the naked eye. 
The big, one-hundred-ton Hooker telescope at 
Mt. Wilson Observatory is said to bring into 
view a half a billion. Nor did the astronomers 
of nineteen hundred years ago have any con- 
ception of the size and how distant were some 
of the stars and constellations they knew. 
With the knowledge that light travels at a 
speed of 11,000,000 miles per minute, modern 
astronomers inform us that it would take four 
years traveling at that speed, to go to the 
nearest fixed star, Proxima Centauri. It 
would take eight years to go to Sirius and 329 
years to go to the Pleiades. To go to Rigel 
in the constellation of Orion, would require 
500 years. Through the invention of mar- 
velous telescopic apparatus, modern astrono- 
mers are able to measure the diameter of stars 
and compute their size. ‘They have found the 
diameter of Arcturus to be 21,000,000 miles, 


228 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


that of Betelgeuse, 215,000,000 miles, and of 
Antares, 400,060,000 miles. If Antares were 
hollowed out and our Sun placed in its center, 
the Sun could still revolve in its orbit without 
touching the rim. If a one-hundred-ton tele- 
scope, equipped with a one-hundred-inch lens, 
brings into view a half billion stars, what 
would one double that size reveal? A few 
years ago, astronomers thought there was only 
one universe, now they are practically agreed 
that there are more than a million universes. 

The science of physics affords an excellent 
example of progress of a material nature. 
Probably the first mechanical principle ever 
learned by man was when he discovered that 
by putting the end of a hand-spike, or pole 
under a rock or log, he could lift a weight 
impossible for him to move by his own strength 
alone. About the next discovery he made was 
when he learned that by placing a log too 
heavy for him to carry across a short one and 
by pushing, he could transport burdens that 
several of his number could not bear. Hrom 
using a short log, he cut off a section or slice 
through which he made a hole in the center 
and inserted a stick, the projections support- 
ing spikes or handles, making a wheel-barrow 
—the first vehicle. From the use of only one 
wheel with a short axle to an extension of it 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 229 


passing it through two wheels by means of 
Which he could more easily balance his load 
and move a larger one, no doubt was the next 
step. Unquestionably the wheel has been one 
of the very greatest inventions in the experi- 
ence of the race. Without it most of our sub- 
sequent discoveries and inventions could not 
have been made. There is scarcely any kind 
of a machine or contrivance that does not use 
wheels or employ its principle. The transmis- 
sion of power never could have been developed 
beyond the individual hand- and foot-applica- 
tion had it not been for the wheel. Machinery 
of any kind would have been out of the ques- 
tion, from the wheel-barrow to the airplane, 
the spinning wheel to the complex looms of 
a silk factory, from a wind-mill to a dynamo. 
It was the one indispensable invention that 
was just absolutely necessary. It is doubtful 
if many people stop to think just what a great 
invention the lowly wheel is. In the course 
of the ages it has been greatly improved in 
looks and has been made after many patterns 
and out of a great variety of materials, but 
in one respect it has never changed, it has 
always remained circular and the axis at or 
near the center. Moreover, the wheel-barrow, 
the first vehicle, continues to be a useful and 
convenient conveyance. Yet, at the beginning 


230 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


of the Christian Era people had not learned 
to couple four wheels together so far as the 
writer has been able to ascertain. They were 
used ox-cart plan, except when used as a bar- 
row. ‘The chariot was the most fashionable 
vehicle contrived from a two-wheel arrange- 
ment. [Even then it did not supersede animals 
as the chief means of transportation. In the 
time of Jesus, people were still riding on the 
backs of donkeys, camels, elephants and a few 
horses and mules. 

It requires a bit of imagination to bridge 
the gap from the chariot and ox-cart of nine- 
teen hundred years ago to the modern auto- 
mobile and from the automobile to the air- 
plane and dirigible. '’ennyson’s dream of less 
than seventy years ago is already a reality. 


‘*Hor I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, 

Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that 
would be; 

Saw the heavens fill with ecommerce, argosies of magic 
sails, 

Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly 
bales ; 

Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rained 
a ghastly dew : 

From the nation’s airy navies grappling in the central 
blue ; 

For along the world-wide whisper of the south-wind 
rushing warm, 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 231 


With the standards of the people plunging through the 
thunder-storm ; 

Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle- 
flags were furled 

In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world.’’ 1 


The airplane and dirigible already have ful- 
filled all the prophesies of Tennyson’s vision 
except the last. However, they still may be 
the chief factors in the realization of the 
‘federation of the world.’’ ‘The wholesale 
death-inflicting inventions of the future in- 
tended to be dropped from the skies may 
become so frightful that war will be aban- 
doned. When such an air-craft as the ‘‘Shen- 
andoah,’’ 682 feet long, weighing 82,000 tons 
and carrying a load of over 100,000 pounds, 
can make a trip of more than seven thousand 
miles across the American continent and re- 
turn, some idea is obtained of the enormous 
progress that has been made in_ physical 
science. 

Turning our attention to still another 
branch of physics that has played a leading 
part in the progress of science, is that of 
photography. Only one hundred and thirty- 
four years have elapsed since Thomas Wedge- 
wood produced his first photographic likeness. 
Since then photography has undergone re- 


1 Locksley Hall. 


232 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


markable development and has been respon- 
sible for some marvelous discoveries and 
achievements. One of the greatest photo- 
graphic improvements is that of the spectro- 
scope. By its aid, astronomers are able to 
obtain pictures of phenomena on planets mil- 
hons of miles removed that cannot even be 
seen through a telescope by the naked eye. It 
makes possible what it records for future 
reference and comparison. By means of it 
certain elements have been found in the Sun 
before they were discovered on the earth. 
Helium gas, discovered by Lockyer is an 
example. Had it not been for photography 
astronomy would not enjoy quite the high 
place it holds among the sciences. ‘To 
photography, surgery and medicine owe a vast 
amount of their achievements. The discovery 
of the X-Ray by Roentgen of Wurtzburg in 
1895 has revolutionized the diagnosis of dis- 
ease. By being able to photograph internal 
organs and structures, surgeons are no longer 
compelled to take a chance, but are able to 
verify their diagnosis before operating. 

Who ean estimate the contributions it may 
make to the progress of the world in the 
future? Already there is a prospect of the 
cinema being greatly improved. It is prom- 
ised that it will not be long until we can sit 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 233 


in our homes and view moving pictures accom- 
panied by the spoken word transmitted by 
radio. Pictures of natural phenomena in all 
its forms will be available for comparison with 
those of centuries later. What would not 
many persons in this age give to see an actual 
likeness of Jesus, John the Baptist, St. 
Paul, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Mohammed, 
Gautama Buddha, Solomon’s T’emple, the Ark 
of the Covenant, and the Tabernacle? 

But physics is not the only branch of science 
in which great progress is to be noted. Chem- 
istry, possibly its closest ally furnishes an 
excellent example also. Dealing as it does 
with the constitution and transformation of 
matter, the fortunes of the race are very much 
dependent upon the fruit of its labors. Hrom 
a mass of disconnected data has grown an 
orderly and synthetic classification of its rules 
and principles. From being a phase of the 
science of physics it has developed into an 
order embracing several branches or classes. 
The ancients knew a little about chemistry. 
Aristotle and other Greek philosophers in 
their attempt to interpret matter, assumed the 
existence of only four elements: earth, air, fire 
and water. Modern chemistry has shown them 
not to be elements at all, but merely the prop- 
erties of elements. The number of original 


234 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


elements remains comparatively small, but the 
compounds aggregate more than one hundred 
thousand. Modern chemistry in reality does 
not go farther back than 1661 when Robert 
Boyle distinguished between simple elements 
and compounds. An element is a substance 
that cannot be further decomposed, but which 
is obtainable from a compound body and from 
which the latter again can be prepared. Boyle 
held that chemical combination consisted in an 
approximation of the smallest particles of 
matter, thus adopting the atomic theory which 
had been current in philosophy for a long time. 
Since the time of Boyle, chemistry has under- 
gone marvelous development. In 1766 Caven- 
dish discovered hydrogen and in 1774 Joseph 
Priestley discovered oxygen. In 1781 Caven- 
dish proved that water was composed of the 
two gases, oxygen and hydrogen. He also 
determined the composition of the atmosphere. 
Hiom the discoveries of the foregoing, the 
foundations of a new chemistry were laid. The 
two chief followers to build on the foundations 
were a Frenchman by name of Lavoisier and 
an Hnelishman by name of Dalton. Lavoisier 
proved that matter was constant in weight and 
could neither be created nor destroyed. In any 
chemical change the weight of the substance 
engaged in the reaction, remained unaltered. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 235 


In 1803 Dalton announced his atomic theory. 
But the atomistic theory of Dalton had httle 
in common with the speculative theories of the 
ancients. Jn connection with his theory, Dal- 
ton established two laws, the laws of definite 
and multiple proportions. Dalton found that 
to every element a definite combining number 
could be assigned, and that when two elements 
united in more than one proportion, even mul- 
tiples of that number appeared. Each element 
has its own distinct combining weight. Frac- 
tions of the weights did not occur, therefore, 
fractional atoms could not exist and the two 
thoughts were connected by Dalton. Chemical 
union takes place through a juxtaposition of 
atoms, whose relative weights are indicated by 
their combining numbers. First, every element 
is composed of similar atoms which have con- 
stant weight. Second, chemical compounds 
are formed by the union of the atoms in sim- 
ple numerical relations. Upon these two prin- 
ciples established by Dalton, the philosophy 
of chemistry rests. For over a hundred years, 
the history of chemistry has been the history 
of the atomic theory. The atom appears to 
be the key that will unlock vast storehouses 
of scientific knowledge. ‘To-day it is being 
broken up. It has been found that the atom 
is a miniature solar system with a sun and in 


236 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


some cases, scores of attendant planets form- 
ing a siderial svstem. The planets revolving 
around the atomic center are called elec- 
trons. Moreover, scientists have ascertained 
these electrons have orbits corresponding to 
the planets of the ‘‘milky way.’’ Further- 
more, they have discovered that in certain in- 
stances the orbits are irregular—they expand 
and contract. They think this irregularity is 
due to difference in the amount of heat, to 
magnetism, pressure, ete. 

‘T'o gain some idea of the enormous progress 
that has been made in chemistry, one needs 
only to glance at the fields in which it is being 
employed. A century ago, probably no manu- 
facturing establishment thought of maintain- 
ing its own chemical laboratory. ‘To-day thou- 
sands of such plants have their own research 
laboratories for the purpose of producing not 
only a better product, but to salvage waste and 
to produce therefrom profitable by-products. 
In some instances, the by-products have 
proven more valuable and important than that 
of the original from which they were ex- 
tracted. Gasoline, coke, coal-tar, etc., are 
examples. In 1820 the chemical industry was 
of little consequence. Ten years later, thirty 
firms in the United States were engaged in 
the manufacture of chemicals. In 1914 the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 237 


American chemical industry ranked among 
the largest manufacturing interests of the 
country. It was outranked only by such in- 
dustries as those of iron, steel, woolen and cot- 
ton manufacturing interests—packing house, 
shoe, clothing and several other manufac- 
turing interests that employ assembling of 
materials not being rated as manufactories by 
the Census Bureau. The manufacture of 
chemical products also represents a wider 
diversity of interests than any of the other 
great industries which combine to represent 
the source of revenue that has made the 
United States the most prosperous of nations. 
The leading chemical industries are the refin- 
ing of petroleum which ranks first, with that 
of agricultural fertilizer second. The manu- 
facturing of acids comes next, the output of 
sulphuric acid being especially heavy. Bleach- 
ing materials, cyanides, plastics, sodas and 
sodium products, gases, electric chemicals, 
potash and potassium products, coal-tar prod- 
ucts, fine chemicals, explosives, paints and 
varnishes, soaps and wood-distilled products, 
are a few of the more important articles 
manufactured by the chemical industry. 
From the foregoing, it will no doubt be con- 
ceded that the progress made in the science of 
chemistry has been enormous. ‘That the 


238 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


achievements of chemistry have contributed a 
vast amount of comfort and prosperity to 
mankind, doubtless will be admitted. Indi- 
rectly, the progress made in the science of 
chemistry, affects the ethical and moral 
natures of humanity and conspires to bring 
about spiritual development also. 

Passing from chemistry to biology, equally 
marked progress is to be noted there also. 
Probably no branch of science has stimulated 
more interest among inquiring minds prompt- 
ing an attempt to solve the riddle of the 
universe, and has made greater contributions 
to the progress of the world, than has biology. 
T'reviranus in 1802 A.p., was the first to em- 
ploy the term biology to this subject. It deals 
with living organisms and the phenomena of 
hfe. What is life? is the goal or problem, it 
is seeking to solve. Its field is the whole 
organic world. Its business is to mark the 
boundaries which exist between it and the 
inorganic; to discover the processes by which 
living things have developed; and to dis- 
cover the laws of unification between those 
processes; to ascertain the nature of life itself, 
and predicate, if possible, the future in store 
for it. Biology, then, comprehends all the 
special departments of study that deal with 
plants and animals, which of course includes 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 239 


man. Botany, zoology, and their associate and 
subordinate sciences such as anthropology, 
physiology, psychology, bacteriology, micros- 
copy, and many more, come within the scope 
of biology. 

Hrom Aristotle down, naturalists have been 
trying to solve the mysteries of life and in- 
quiring into its nature. A list of those who 
have materially contributed to biological re- 
sults embraces some of the most prominent 
names among scientists—Leibnitz, Harvey, 
Buffon, Lamarck, Cuvier, Lyell, Owen, Agas- 
siz, Darwin, Wallace, Huxley, Weismann and 
others. Every naturalist is at work upon some 
part of the bundle of interwoven strands of 
phenomena seeking to isolate it from the rest. 
In some eases, associations of scientists exists 
for the purpose of disentangling only one 
strand. While this is going on, the philosoph- 
ical biologist is seeking to unify all biological 
discoveries into a harmonious systematic 
whole. 

The study at first amounted only to a gather- 
ing of specimens and records of observations. 
Next a crude sorting of the specimens was 
begun. From that elemental beginning the 
broad distinction between the organic and the 
inorganic was made. However, it is impos- 
sible even to-day to determine to which of 


240 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


these two branches certain manifestations of 
natural phenomena belong. The collecting 
and sorting continued and the next classifica- 
tion was the separation of the two great 
branches of the organic world—animals and 
plants. Between animals and plants, as be- 
tween the organic and the inorganie, it is dit- 
ficult to establish the exact boundaries in some 
instances. In some of the unicellular organ- 
isms, no one is able to draw the line and deter- 
mine whether they belong to the animal or 
plant kingdom—or in the case of some, to 
determine whether they belong to either. Such 
phenomena are on the border line between the 
two kingdoms. There are phenomena to be 
found in certain slimes, the only manifesta- 
tion of life being that of faintest motion, or 
movement. Whether they are living organ- 
isms or merely chemical reactions is not as 
yet known. The indications are that biologists 
are on the very threshold of the discovery of 
the principle of life. 

From trying to find as many different speci- 
mens as possible, as was done at first, the aim 
came to be to find as many like specimens. 
Research disclosed that there were far more 
creatures and plants than had at first been 
suspected. Early students of biology had as- 
sumed that each species of both plants and 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 241 


animals had been specially created. From the 
time students of biology began to search for 
similarities instead of dissimilarities, classifi- 
cation pointed to a series of development from 
lower to higher forms; from the one-celled 
protozoa at the foot of the list, to the highest 
and most complex specimen of life. This was 
true of both animals and plants. 

As more students were attracted to the sub- 
ject, some became interested in certain groups 
of animals and plants. ‘Thus arose sub- 
divisions, such as ornithology, anthropology, 
Zoology, botany, anatomy, physiology and his- 
tology. From animal anatomy, plant anatomy 
came into use and from these, comparative 
anatomy. Similarity of structure between 
animals and plants were noted, and the dis- 
section of each was carried to the minutest 
part—the cell of protoplasm or life substance. 
All organic substances from the simplest to 
the most complex are composed of cells. The 
number of cells determine the growth and the 
combination of them the form of an organism. 
From a study of this smallest unit of struc- 
ture, the cell, resulted embryology. That 
branch of biology disclosed that the changes 
each individual passes through from egg to 
birth are a series of changes from simplicity 
to complexity; and that they parallel in fea- 


242 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


tures the various groups of classification 
through which its species has passed to its 
present attainments. Paleontology supported 
that view. Paleontology disclosed that the 
most ancient animal fossils found in the rocks 
were simple and general in structure, as com- 
pared with those of modern geological forma- 
tion. In short—structural development had 
become more complex as time went on. All 
those facts conspired to show that life was a 
gradual unfolding from simpler to higher 
forms. Moreover, it suggested that the cycles 
recognized in the embryo of the individual 
were analogous to the cycle through which the 
individual passes from birth to maturity, 
from maturity to old age and from old age 
to death. Biologists gradually came to recog- 
nize Evolution as the mode by which the proc- 
esses Involved in such changes takes place. 
Aristotle had a slight idea that some such 
principle as Evolution was involved, but con- 
ceived of it as being operative only after the 
species existed, not before it. However, most 
of the knowledge possessed by Aristotle and 
other ancients was lost during the ‘‘dark 
ages.’’ The Evolutionary theory, in reality 
may be said to have originated with modern 
biology. Buffon had hinted at it as early as 
1779 and Lamarck in 1815. But Darwin’s 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 243 


‘Origin of Species,’’? in which is enunciated 


the law of ‘‘natural selection’’ which results in 
the ‘‘survival of the fittest,’’ probably affords 
the best explanation of how this unfolding 
from simpler to higher forms takes place. 
Wallace arrived at the same conclusion almost 
simultaneously. The publication of the ‘* Origin 
of Species”? by Darwin was an epoch-making 
treatise in the field of biology. 

Most of the other biologists of note, sooner 
or later came to accept Evolution as the 
fundamental law of that science. Not only 
biologists, but students of other sciences, 
recognized in it the underlying principle of 
the special branch in which they were engaged. 
If Evolution was the basic principle of one 
class of phenomena, it was possible that it 
might be of others. Moreover, if it was opera- 
tive in the organic world, it might be equally 
so in the inorganie. 

The function of the scientist 1s to make 
collections, examinations, classifications and 
deductions from those classifications of phe- 
nomena more or less closely related. The field 
of the scientist is restricted to a separate 
branch of the whole subject. The province of 
the philosopher is to examine the data, verify 
the classifications and deductions made by 
scientists in all the fields and to weld, recon- 


244 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


cile and unify them into a harmonious whole. 
Probably no one has succeeded better at that 
task than has Herbert Spencer. Also, it is 
quite possible that no one has done more to 
prove the rationability of Evolution, than has 
he. All branches of science are more or less 
intimately related, so that there is an overlap- 
ping of one field with that of another in 
respect to many things. Spencer’s plan was to 
eliminate those factors on which philosophers 
differed and consider only those upon which 
there was unanimity of agreement. Assuming 
that the hypothesis of Evolution was true, he 
undertook to show, that, if it was true, it must 
be universally so. It must act in the same 
manner in respect to all data and all kinds 
and sorts of phenomena. It must be true 
biologically, physiologically, psychologically 
and sociologically. With the foregoing as a 
basis, he scientifically examined the data, 
classifications and deductions, both from the 
deductive and inductive methods of reasoning, 
in all the scientific fields. Krom the deduc- 
tions made by him concerning that vast 
amount of phenomena, he formulated his 
definition of Evolution, which is: 

‘“Evolution is an integration of matter and a concomi- 


tant dissipation of motion; during which the matter 
passes from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity to a 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 245 


definite, coherent heterogeneity; and during which the 
retained motion undergoes a parallel transformation.’’ * 


‘l’o the above formula of Evolution, Spencer 
subjected a colossal amount of data provided 
by the various branches of science. If the 
actions of phenomena in any one field did not 
conform to that formula, it was an indication 
that either the formula was inaccurate, or the 
hypothesis of Evolution was unsound. ‘The 
fact that the natural phenomena of all the 
different fields of science accorded with his 
formula was not only proof of its correctness, 
but strongly confirmed the soundness of Evo- 
lution as the fundamental law underlying the 
unfolding of the universe. In that capacity, 
Evolution does not undertake to account for 
the absolute beginning of things or the ul- 
timate end of things. The doctrine of Evolu- 
tion takes into consideration only a_ cross- 
section of the universe, situated in a niche of 
space occupying a period of only a few hun- 
dred millions of years of time, between two 
extremes. The doctrine of Evolution implies 
that the absolute beginning and the ultimate 
end of things, are alike inscrutable. 

If the law of Evolution as formulated by 
Herbert Spencer accounts for the method of 


1 See. 145, First Principles, Fourth Ed. 


246 THE NEWFR DISPENSATION 


development in respect to the physical aspects 
of all species including man, then, it follows 
as a corollary, that it must also govern all the 
expressions of the species. That is to say: the 
religion, government, language and civiliza- 
tion in all its forms developed by the human 
race likewise conform to that same principle. 
In support of that conclusion Mr. Spencer has 
this to say: 

‘‘The law which is conformed to by the evolving 
human being, and which is consequently conformed to 
by the evolving human intelligence, is of necessity con- 
formed to by all the products of that intelligence. Show- 
ing itself in structures, and by implication in the fune- 
tion of those structures, this law cannot but show itself 
in the concrete manifestations of those functions. Just 
as language, considered as an objective product, bears 
the impress of this subjective process; so, too, does that 
system of ideas concerning the nature of things, which 
the mind gradually elaborates.’’ * 

Probably no idea since the dawn of civiliza- 
tion has done more to emancipate man’s mind, 
than that of Evolution. To it, no doubt more 
than to any other factor has resulted the 
present-day renaissance that is observable on 
every hand. The monumental achievements in 
all branches of science have largely taken place 
since the promulgation of the doctrine of 
Kvolution. Since its enunciation, astronomy, 


1 Principles of Sociology, Third Ed., See. 207. 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 24:7 


physics, chemistry and biology with all their 
subordinate branches of special sciences, have 
maintained a solid front, marching shoulder 
to shoulder in a united assault to compel the 
universes to surrender their most guarded 
secrets. Evolution has shown an orderly 
arrangement of this universe where formerly 
it was chaotic. Instead of a blind groping 
among the infinite diversifications of phe- 
nomena, the road for further research has 
been revealed. 


CHAPTER XXIT 


At the close of a discussion such as is em- 
braced in these last four chapters, it is needful 
to contemplate as a whole, that which has been 
presented in parts. In order to obtain the full 
force of the arguments that have been made 
in support of the Newer Dispensation, it is 
necessary to show how each minor group of 
truths fits into some major group and how in 
turn the groups fit together. Such a brief 
recapitulation as will be made, is intended to 
form a general view of the subject matter con- 
tained in the third division of this work. In 
this division have taken place the changes, 
events, movements, discoveries and inventions 
out of which the Newer Dispensation has 
grown. Such transactions viewed in their 
ensemble present a unity not hitherto dis- — 
cernible. 

In Chapter XVII was pointed out that 
all progress, as well as retrogression, is predi-— 
cated on change. It was affirmed that if 
progress could be shown to have been made 
since the Christian Era, it would be because 
variations many and great have taken place. 

248 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 249 


Moreover, it was predicted that the mutations 
that have taken place during the last nineteen 
hundred years would be found to be vastly 
greater, than for the previous corresponding 
period. Also in that connection, was pointed 
out the momentum eivilization gains as it 
moves. 

‘Following the foregoing affirmations were 
shown the great changes and momentous 
effects occasioned by the dissolution of the 
Western Roman Empire, from which were 
carved the Latin and Germanic states of 
Europe. Next, attention was called to the 
breaking up of the Eastern Roman Empire 
and its becoming a part of the Ottoman Km- 
pire. Attention was then directed to the rise 
of the British Empire, the largest and most 
powerful that ever existed. Facts were sup- 
plied pertaining to its. scope, the number of 
inhabitants and some of the benefits it has con- 
ferred on civilization. 

Following that was shown how the Russian 
Empire was built from semi-savage tribes. It 
was pointed out that the Russian Empire is 
the second largest empire in the world from 
the standpoint of area, also that it is the 
largest empire in the world contained in one 
body of land. Attention was called to the fact, 
that most of the organization of the Russian 


250 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Iimpire has been accomphshed within the last 
twelve hundred years. 

The foregoing was followed by the discovery 
of the Western Hemisphere, in which are 
situated the two grand divisions of North and 
south America. The reader was reminded of 
the incomparable physical development that 
has taken place on those two continents within 
a period of less than five hundred years. 

Attention was next called to the political 
progress that has been made within the period 
under consideration. It was demonstrated that 
the trend of government has been from that 
of monarchical to a democratic form. Such 
change was shown to be in response to a 
demand for representation on the part of sub- 
jects resulting from growing intelligence. The 
origin and history of the theory of ‘‘divine 
right of kings’’ was reviewed. It was shown 
that revolution is the chief agency for obtain- 
ing representative or democratic government ; 
that the World War was in reality a case of 
monarchy vs. democracy—there being only 
five republics in Europe at the beginning of 
the World War and at present there are 
eighteen. It was shown that liberation of body 
also results in freedom of mind. It was 
pointed out that the Civil War in the United 
States which resulted in the freedom of the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 251 


slaves, taught the world a great moral truth— 
that slavery is wrong, a principle now uni- 
versally accepted in civilized countries. 

Next in order was the founding and devel- 
opment of the Mohammedan religious system 
with its more than 220,000,000 adherents. 
Some of its chief characteristics were re- 
viewed. It was pointed out that since the 
Dispersion it and Judaism have been the sole 
champions of monotheism in the world; that it 
is uncompromising with idolatry and abhors 
drunkenness and gambling. It was shown that 
~Mohammedanism resembles Judaism in that 
it is both a religious and social system in one. 
Mention was made that it cherished several 
things in common with Christianity; that it 
and Mohammedanism were both the offspring 
of Judaism. 

Immediately following the foregoing a reci- 
tation was given on the political history of the 
Holy Land, from the Christian Era to the 
launching of the Crusades. The great move- 
ment known as the Crusades was next re- 
viewed and the reaction of that movement on 
those taking part in it was noted. It was 
shown that while the Crusades did not accom- 
plish their objective, they subserved a far 
ereater purpose by reason of the social inter- 
course they afforded. 


252 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


Attention was next called to the Reforma- 
tion, a brief history of it in the different coun- 
tries of Kurope being given. It was shown to 
be the religious expression of the Renaissance 
which corresponded to the revival in learning 
along other lines. The Reformation resulted 
in Protestantism and at the same time reacted 
in a beneficial way on the Catholic Church 
itself. 

Coming down to the fourth and last chapter 
of this division of the work, the various 
sclences were discussed, with a view to show- 
ing the marvelous progress that has been made 
in all branches of Knowledge within the period 
under consideration. It was shown that 
modern science had its rise in the Renaissance. 
The progress of the different branches of it, 
such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, and 
biology was then traced, ending with a brief 
discussion of Evolution. 

Thus, the reader is furnished with a bird’s- 
eye view of the period from nineteen hundred 
years ago to the present day. Only the larger 
events and movements have been considered, 
care being taken to avoid purely local happen- 
ings and those whose influence were more or 
less circumscribed. It is confidently expected 
that the majority of persons will agree that 
the events and movements mentioned in this 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 253 


survey have been more momentous and pro- 
ductive of greater changes that are responsible 
for a vastly greater amount of progress, than 
the corresponding period immediately preced- 
ing. In the hght of so many and such great 
transitions, resulting in such enormous prog- 
ress of all kinds, exists the basis for the Newer 
Dispensation; the warrant for a restatement 
of the fundamentals of religion; a statement. 
in keeping with the advanced grounds to which 
civilization has moved. While some will 
contend that the events and movements 
enumerated and the progress noted are largely 
those of a material nature, it may be necessary 
to state again that no spiritual or religious 
step of any consequence has ever been taken 
that was not inextricably bound up with a 
material transaction. It is so, because the 
same faculties are employed in dealing with 
both kinds of experiences. 

That such a change in religious beliefs has 
been keeping pace with the progress made 
along material lines, even though unstated in 
any new system of religious thought, is ob- 
vious on every hand. Many religious ideas 
to-day are credited to Christianity that were 
never contemplated by Jesus in the formula- 
tion of his new philosophy of religion, the 
‘‘kinedom of heaven.’’ Indeed, many things 


254 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


credited to Christianity would not be recog- 
nized by Jesus were he to appear on the scene 
to-day. Such ideas have taken root so gradu- 
ally that little thought has been given to their 
origin. The average person not given to tax- 
ing his mind regarding such matters assumes 
that they were always a part of the system of 
which he is a member and to which he gives 
allegiance and is loyal. He considers such 
ideas new knowledge of its teachings, perhaps 
tardily acquired by himself. 

A further difficulty encountered by the 
majority of persons who fail to distinguish 
the old from the new is that there is no line 
of demarcation separating them. It is like 
youth blossoming into maturity and maturity 
shading into old age. It is difficult to say just 
where youth and maturity meet and maturity 
and old age coalesce. The reason is, there is 
so much of the past carried over into the 
future. 

All that has gone before in this work has 
been for the purpose of showing that there 
is a rhythm in the evolution of religion, 
separating it into cycles which are quite as 
observable as those of any other sphere; that 
the length of the cycle depends upon the num- 
ber and magnitude of the changes that take 
place within it and the results attendant 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 255 


thereon; and that the progress achieved dur- 
ing the period under consideration warrants 
a new statement of religious principles—in 
other words: is the foundation of a Newer 
Dispensation. The following chapter will 
undertake to outline and define it. In doing 
so it does not mean that all the old will be 
discarded. That which has stood the test of 
time and that has demonstrated its soundness 
through reason and experience, will be pre- 
served. But it does mean that the unsound 
and those ideas and doctrines of the past that 
have not stood the test of experience and 
reason will be discarded. Religious progress 
eannot afford to be burdened by such a 
handicap. 


CHAPTER XXIII 


Ir has been stated more than once in 
previous chapters that religion in its earlier 
or formative stages revolves around, and is 
inextricably woven with the deistic conception 
of its adherents. As the race attains ever 
higher standards of civilization and religion 
becomes maturer, the deistic conception, itself 
undergoing modifications paralelling that of 
the race, ceases to occupy the position of most 
importance. We have seen how, as with the 
Israelitish Nation, which furnishes a typical 
example of a people passing through progres- 
sive stages of development, that even the form 
of their government was predicated on it, 
being that of a theocracy. Indeed, it has been 
only within comparatively recent times that 
Church and State have been separated. ‘The 
religion reflected by the most representative 
classes of civilized nations to-day, having 
passed the formative stages, is not predicated 
chiefly upon their notion of God. However, 
since such a conception should and does have 
a place in any religious system, it is probably 
as well to consider it in the beginning as later. 

256 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 257 


While it should not be within the province 
of any system of thought to arbitrarily deter- 
mine what anyone’s notion of the Deity shall 
be, yet suggestions on the subject might prove 
helpful to those who have difficulty in reach- 
ing a satisfactory conclusion. It would appear 
entirely consistent to submit a conception in 
harmony with modern science and Evolution 
—one in keeping with the fullest information of 
to-day, respecting the universes. Such a state- 
ment should reflect, at least in a general way, 
the notions of those possessed of such knowl- 
edge. Inattemtping this task,it must be remem- 
bered that no possibility exists of accurately 
defining the Infinite. That is an undertaking 
entirely beyond the human faculties. It must 
be understood that since all knowledge is rela- 
tive, so must any notion or ideas expressed 
concerning anything also be relative. It 1s 
customary to say .a thing is good or bad, this 
truth, that falsehood, this harmony, that dis- 
cord, this bitter, that sweet. By such asser- 
tions we understand the difference between 
these positive and negative statements to be 
one of degree only. ‘T’o illustrate: one can not 
conceive of anything so good, but that it still 
could be truthfully alleged that it might be 
better, even though it is impossible to perceive 
how it might be improved. That being the 


258 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


case, there must be some bad left in it, else one 
could not validly make that allegation. On 
the other hand: one can not conceive of any- 
thing so bad, but that it could be suggested 
veraciously that it might be worse, even if 
impossible to see how that could be. Conse- 
quently there must remain a residuum of good 
in it, else it could be stated positively that it 
could be no worse. The same reasoning holds 
in respect to the other pairs of opposites con- 
tained in the premise. 

Since our knowledge is only relative, there-- 
fore our conception of the Deity must likewise 
be relative. We bring to any conception of 
it only those ideas known to us growing out 
of the experience and reason of the race. As 
primitive people in the earler formative 
stages of development endow the Deity with 
the qualities and attributes that they them- 
selves possess, so highly civilized people con- 
ceive of it in terms corresponding with their 
more mature attainments. The multitude of 
greater and lesser spirits of the aborigines, the 
polytheistic hierarchies headed by Zeus and 
Jupiter of Greece and Rome, the patriarchal 
Jehovah-Ruler of the Hebrew nation, the kind 
and loving Father-God of Jesus and the First 
Cause of the Newer Dispensation, simply re- 
flect the stages of man’s mental development 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 259 


and his grasp of the universes. With the 
knowledge of a million universes in boundless 
space, God becomes more and more remote; 
loses his anthropomorphic qualities and at- 
tributes; becomes less tangible and more and 
more ethereal, until at last only an abstract 
idea remains. 

In the hght of the comprehensiveness of 
creation, such as modern science has disclosed, 
the conclusion is forced upon us of the rela- 
tive ununportance, not only of the human race 
as a whole and the planet upon which it 1s 
situated, but the entire siderial system to 
which they belong. Man obtains at most, a 
view of a little cross-section of creation 
consisting of only a few hundred million 
years. He occupies—comparatively speaking 
—a minute of time between two extremes of 
eternity. The absolute beginning of creation 
and the ultimate end of it are alike inscrutable. 
Man observes its modes operative within cir- 
cumsceribed limits. In his searching to find 
out and discover the nature of the Infinite, he 
can go back only a few hundred million years. 
And in his quest to know the ultimate goal, 
he must be satisfied with even less. But he 
still speculates. Consistent with his mental 
processes, he postulates that all creation, both 
that of which he is, and is not cognizant, must 


260 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


have had an originator. If it were possible 
to go back, not only to the first world in the 
first universe created, but to the very first par- 
ticle of nebulae out of which it was made, the 
human intellect still reasons something before 
that—a Cause. 

Like Space and Time, the Infinite becomes 
an Abstraction; like them too, is indefinable. 
We would not perceive Space, were it not that 
bodies are distended in it. Neither would we 
perceive Time, were it not for sequences and 
co-existences. We can not conceive of Space 
having bounds and Time having a beginning, 
therefore to conceive of absolute Space and 
‘Time is impossible ; neither can we conceive of 
the nature of the First Cause, the Creator, 
God." 

Viewed from our circumscribed plane the 
abstract appears invariably to precede the 
concrete. A thing is thought of or conceived 
in the mind before it assumes tangible form. 
There is an implication in Nature that Crea- 
tion as a whole is describing a vast cycle 
similar to that performed by its parts that 
may ultimately reduce all phenomena again to 
the abstract. 


1Sir William Hamilton, ‘‘Philosophy of the Unconditioned.’’ 
Mr. Herbert Spencer, First Prin. Fourth Ed. ‘‘The Relativity of 
All Knowledge. ’’ 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 261 


In view of the foregoing, some intimation 
will be gained of the religion of the Newer 
Dispensation. With the advent of it people 
will talk less and less about God, but they will 
speak more and more of the laws of the 
cosmos. They will strive to discover the 
universal laws in order that they may conform 
to them. The discernment of natural law is 
the key to progress. Correspondence with it 
is the realization of it. In the future, men will 
not discourse so much on the will of God, as 
they will seek through nature to discover his 
plan. Man already has come to a realization 
that creation is not finished; that he is in the 
midst of the most complex processes of crea- 
tion that have hitherto existed on this planet. 
He already has found that through recognition 
of the natural laws and by correspondence 
with them, his welfare has been greatly en- 
hanced. In the future, to detect, harness and 
utilize both the natural resources and the un- 
seen forces of the universe, will hold- the 
interest of vast numbers of persons. The wel- 
fare of the race will be greatly improved 
through such labors. Better and more facili- 
ties of enlightenment, universal educational. 
advantages, more labor-saving devices, better 
health and social conditions, general thrifti- 
ness and through these greater spiritual prog- 


262 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


ress, are some of the benefits that will result 
from such endeavors. 

The religion of the Newer Dispensation will 
be distinguished for many customary things 
it will not have. Formal creeds will have no 
place in it because they tend to restrict men’s 
minds rather than broaden them. Besides the 
need of amendment is too frequent. The aim 
will be to avoid fixed standards and to en- 
courage moving ideals. Instead of sacerdotal 
rites and ceremonies such as are employed to 
impress barbaric minds will be substituted 
simple, natural, direct expression. Frankness 
will displace mystery in religious practises. 
There will be no ordinances to celebrate, be- 
cause the Newer Order will not depend upon 
the sanctimonious to impress its adherents. 
Neither will it seek to control its subjects by 
means of mythological traditions. In the 
Newer Dispensation there will be no place for 
the supernatural. Any truth of any nature 
is valueless that can not be expressed in terms 
adapted to man’s comprehension. It is time 
to cease appealing to man’s credulities born 
of his ignorance and begin to appeal to his 
higher faculties begotten of his intelligence. 
In the Newer Order all practises of propitia- 
tion and extollation of the Deity will be 
abandoned. The futility of such is readily 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 263 


appreciated in the light of the modern deistic 
conception. Primitive man sent his first-born 
through the fire. The semi-primitive sacri- 
ficed hecatombs of the choicest of his flocks 
and herds in efforts to appease and propitiate 
his gods. By the beginning of the Christian 
Hira, prayer, which is merely another form of 
propitiation, had almost wholly superseded 
sacrifice aS a means of incurring deistic good 
favor. The change is accounted for in man’s 
modified notion of the Deity. ‘To-day, the 
modern conception shows the childishness of 
such a practise. The inconsistency of attempt- 
ing to induce the First Cause of the universes 
to employ special acts for individual, or even 
race benefit, when cosmic laws are everywhere 
recognized as controlling, becomes obvious 
upon a moment’s reflection. 

in the Newer Dispensation, this life will not 
be viewed as one of probation in order to 
determine man’s eligibility for a future ex- 
istence. but it will be regarded as a present 
opportunity for the fullest development of all 
his faculties. In this life, in this age, in this 
world, man will recognize a portion of eternity, 
perhaps as important as any other. The 
Newer Order will hold that it is a higher con- 
ception of morality to do right because it is 
right, regardless of any reward which may be 


264 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


bestowed in a hereafter for so doing, or 
through fear of punishment in a future life 
for failing so to do. The growing conscious- 
ness of the race will find in the present life 
sufficient inducements for its utmost efforts 
and abundant rewards. No motive could bet- 
ter prepare the soul of man for a future state 
than a full appreciation of the opportunities 
he enjoys here. If one has not the vision to 
discern the advantages of the present life, it 
is quite possible one may overlook those the 
future may hold. Like the ‘‘prodigal son,’’ 
millions of people, who are living starved 
lives, merely subsisting on the husks left by 
the swine, will come to realize that this world 
affords a vast storehouse of viands that may 
be had for the asking. In the future, people 
will concentrate more on what this world 
offers and speculate less on what the next will 
be like. It is a virtue to be forward looking, 
but it 1s a crime to overlook the present. Any 
future life in store for the race will be for 
everybody and not for any particular part of 
mankind. 

In the Newer System, people will not be 
concerned about the saving of men’s souls, but 
will be intensely interested in the development 
of character in order to fit them for useful- 
ness. The chief end of man will be service: 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 265 


for it is only by trying to raise others that we 
hft ourselves. 

In the Newer Dispensation many things 
judged moral and right at the present time will 
be considered immoral, coarse and low. In the 
Newer order, the equality of women already 
recognized in some countries will be universal. 
Within a generation, people will look back 
with the same degree of horror on the practise 
of lynching that still persists in some quarters 
as the present generation views the Inquisi- 
tion. To large groups of persons at the 
_ present time, prize fighting is as degrading and 
coarse as the gladiatorial combats of Greece 
and Rome. 

In the near future the nation that refuses 
to arbitrate its differences and abide by the de- 
cision of a ‘‘league of nations’? or ‘‘world 
court,’’ will be adjudged an outlaw. By the 
same token, society collectively will not tolerate 
and commit crimes individuals are forbidden 
to commit and for which they are punished. It 
will not deny murder to the individual and 
itself engage in wholesale murder under the 
eulse of war. It will not condemn lying, 
cheating, stealing and deceit in the individual 
and itself engage in a systematic commission 
of those vices. 

In the Newer Régime, the liquor traffic 


266 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


proven the most prolific source of misery and 
crime in the world, and which already has 
been outlawed in the United States of 
America, will have no place. Governments 
will realize that it is a monster gnawing at the 
very vitals of their structures. Nations will 
come to outlaw it from an economic stand- 
point alone, not to mention the moral aspect 
GLits 

Corporeal slavery, recognized as legitimate 
in both the Old and New Dispensations, will 
be illicit in the Newer Order. Already cor- 
poreal slavery is recognized by all the civilized 
nations of the world as immoral and wrong. 
With the complete consummation of the Newer 
System, not only corporeal, but economic 
slavery will be banned. An economic system 
that grinds down the poor and takes advantage 
of his conditions which result chiefly from 
ignorance and an incapacity to protect his 
interests will be deemed as culpable as if his 
whole body were enslaved. It is already 
recognized by employers of character that 
employees are entitled to more than a mere 
‘‘living wage.’’ Ultimately it will appear that 
the interests of capital and labor are one and 
each is entitled to the full measure of its 
earnings. 

Moreover, any system of whatever kind, 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 267 


that permits the exploitation of either body 
or mind of humanity, can have no piace in a 
religious system that purports to be based 
upon justice and right as well as on exper'- 
ence and reason. Whether it be a political 
party that clouds the minds of its constituents 
by confusing and misrepresenting the issues, 
or a religious system that obscures the vital 
truths with grotesque and fantastic mysticism 
—in either case, the individual so exploited is 
as much enslaved as though his body were 
weighted with chains. 

With the establishment of the Newer Dis- 
pensation, people will talk less and less about 
loving God, but more and more of loving their 
fellowmen. The ‘‘brotherhood of man’’ doc- 
trine enunciated by Jesus and epitomized. by 
him in his new commandment, ‘‘that ye love 
one another,’’ above all other teachings of his 
will be perpetuated. As has been stated 
before, a new order does not necessarily imply 
all new ideas. The treasuring of old truths 
and the giving to them a new setting 1s within 
the province of a new system. Retrieving 
them from a maze of the obsolete, performs 
for them a service by removing the handicap 
stifling their influence. In the ‘‘brotherhood 
of man’’ doctrine given us by Jesus, there is 
both the inspiration for an ever-expanding 


268 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


love for humanity and an ever-increasing 
worthy outlet for it. In that teaching all the 
emotions and passions of the race find expres- 
sion. Love, pity, merey, Justice, compassion, 
admiration and loyalty are reflected in its 
operation. With the unhampered freedom of 
expression afforded by the Newer Order, in- 
stead of people professing to love an abstrac- 
tion or imaginary being, the recipient will be 
imminent, pulsating, deserving humanity. 
Sincere, altruistic service to mankind by 
thought, word and deed will be the concrete, 
unimpeachable testimony of the emotions to 
a higher power. Instead of trying to divert 
the natural channels of the emotions by di- 
recting their course where there is no outlet, 
their refreshing currents will flow into the 
hearts of thirsting humanity. Any emotion 
or passion inspiring action for the ameliora- 
tion of conditions in behalf of ife—human or 
brute—is a higher testimonial than any pro- 
fession of words directed at an abstract being 
or cause. The succoring of humanity, raising 
the general average of character, increasing 
the happiness of the race now, exemplifies the 
doctrine of the ‘‘brotherhood of man’’ and is 
a task to which the Newer Dispensation will 
be devoted. 

In the Newer system men and women will 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 269 


participate upon equal terms. Discrimination 
‘ because of sex, nationality, color, or belief will 
be discouraged. The question asked of those 
seeking to ally themselves with its cause will 
not be: What do you profess? But rather: 
What have you done? The standard of worth 
will not be based on wealth, name, nationality, 
or race, but determined by the contribution 
made to society in the form of service. 

In the Newer Régime, hero-worship will 
have no place. Although many persons will 
be venerated by those subscribing to its prin- 
ciples, because of service rendered civilization. 
Some contributing talents of mind, others 
their fortunes, while still others performing 
lowly acts of kindness thereby softening the 
lot of the unfortunate, lightening the load of 
the overburdened and bringing solace to 
troubled souls will be entitled to renown in 
such an order. — 

The sacred writings of the Newer Order 
will not be confined to any one book, but to 
many, both of the present and yet to be writ- 
ten. Its Seriptures will not be closed, but will 
be supplemented as new light and experience 
are gained. It will accept as authoritative, 
truth imbedded in any composition or ema- 
nating from any source, so long as it squares 
with experience and reason. Nothing will be 


270 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


so sacred that it may not be investigated with 
impunity. The freest and fullest examination 
of its most cherished precepts and principles 
will be invited. If they are sound and true 
- they will withstand any ordeal to which they 
may be subjected and skeptical minds. will be 
convinced of that fact. But if in any respect 
they are lacking in veracity, that test applied 
to them will correct their deficiencies. Lofty 
literature, profound writings pointing out the 
laws and modes of creation, philosophies, his- 
tories, fiction and poetry inspiring the soul to 
higher ideals, ambitions and benevolent ac- 
tions, will be accepted as authoritative by ad- 
herents of the Newer Régime. 

Its sacred music will be any sweet, plaintive, 
or sublime and grand harmonies that charm 
the ear, exalt the soul and that arouse within 
the human breast noble aspirations. Its music 
will not be propitiary or petitionary, but in 
simple, yet dignified and majestic rhythm, will 
reflect the universal spirit of mankind. 

The religion of the Newer Dispensation will 
be more spiritual than any of its predecessors, 
because the race possesses a larger knowledge 
of the psychical and spiritual nature of man 
than has existed in any previous age. ‘The 
‘‘unpardonable sin’’ will be not to grow men- 
tally and spiritually. Further acquisitions of 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 271 


knowledge supplied by science and experience 
will result in spiritual growth. The spiritual 
attainments of any people are only as high as 
their mental development. 

While the religion of the early Hebrews 
was tribal and that of Judaism national, 
and such systems as Christianity, Moham- 
medanism and Buddhism being international, 
that of the Newer Dispensation will be univer- 
sal. It will be unbounded by geographic lines. 
Evidence that a demand for a universal reli- 
gion exists comes from the Orient. ‘‘A Far 
_ Kastern Buddhist Congress held in Tokyo in 
December, 1925, which was attended by dele- 
‘gates from Formosa, Korea, China and Japan, 
the reports of which are just reaching this 
country as this is being written, has arranged 
for a great world religious conference early 
in 1928. All religions and all bodies working 
for a better world order will be invited to send 
representatives. The Oriental supporters of 
the proposed convention speak of it as a 
‘‘spiritual league of nations.’’* A natural ob- 
jective of such a gathering will be that of 
reaching a general understanding as to what 
constitute universally accepted religious prin- 
ciples and the combining of them in a program 
that will challenge the world. 

1‘*The Christian Century,’’ Dec. 31, 1925. 


272 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


The consummation of a Newer Dispensation 
will require many years of time. It took 
three centuries for Christianity to establish 
itself. The Newer Order will not attempt 
to propagate itself by seizing the ecclesiastical 
machinery of any other system. Jesus and 
his followers tried to appropriate. that of 
Judaism and signally failed. Kvery scientific 
association organized for the purpose of com- 
paring data and disseminating knowledge is 
a center operating for the establishment of the 
Newer Régime. [Every society and club de- 
voted to self-improvement of the individual 
and the seeking of more hight for its members 
is a potential nucleus making for the realiza- 
tion of such a system. 

No one can predict with accuracy how the 
machinery for the functioning and propaga- 
tion of this Newer System of religion will take 
place. Necessity will take care of that. Little 
time needs to be spent in planning the 
mechanics for its extension and operation. 
The organization will take form when the 
demand becomes sufficiently urgent. As al- 
ready intimated, there may be agencies already 
existing that are unconsciously performing 
that function. 

Dismissing as speculative by what method 
the organization will be brought about and the 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 273 


form it will assume with certainty can be pre- 
dicted the chief agency that will be responsible 
for its ultimate establishment. The reference 
is to that of education. With a more serious 
and scientific study of education as a subject 
in itself, there will come about a system based 
upon the more primary heeds of society, in- 
stead of upon its secondary requirements. 
The education of the future will consider any- 
thing educational that enables one better to 
correspond with his environment and which 
cultivates and develops all one’s latent facul- 
ties. It will be observed that such a method 
implies symmetrical development. It does not 
contemplate the cultivation of one set of facul- 
ties to the exclusion of others. Just as the 
education and unfoldment of the material in- 
stincts of persons make for thrift and auto- 
matically reduce poverty, so the improvement 
of the moral instincts will reduce and limit 
erime. In the lhght of present conditions, 
ethics as a separate and distinct branch in the 
curriculum will be co-extensive with the school 
life of the child and youth. From the lowest 
erade to the highest in the public school sys- 
tems moral instruction will be given adapted 
to the age of the pupil. Deportment of chil- 
dren in the home and outside of it, duties 
children owe to their home, to their parents, to 


274 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


themselves and to others can and should be 
taught at an early age. The correct attitude 
of children towards their government and its 
institutions, towards society as well as their 
relationships with each other, is subject mat- 
ter coming well within the period of early 
adolescence. 

With the arrival of later adolescence, pupils 
in the schools no doubt will be taught child- 
psychology and pedagogy as among the most 
important branches of the school’s curriculum. 
Since a large majority of pupils at maturity 
naturally may be expected soon to marry and 
assume the responsibilities of parenthood; 
and since the sole education of the child for 
the first several years of its life devolves upon 
the parents, it would appear as necessary for 
them to understand the psychology of the child 
as teachers in the school. Such courses 
ought to be as fundamental as history and 
geography. One frequently hears the remark, 
‘‘the trouble is in the home.’’? Obviously then, 
the need is to adapt the school system to cor- 
rect the deficiency. 

In the face of growing delinquency on the 
part of both youth and adults, it 1s evident 
that the schools as organized are not fitting 
later adolescent pupils for the task of supply- 
ing adequate and the proper kind of home 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 275 


education. Since the family is the basic unit 
of society it should receive first consideration. 
The best way to cure an ill is to treat 1t at 
its source. The instruction of the maturer 
youth in the schools in child-psychology and 
pedagogy would have the additional advantage 
of procuring sympathy with the school on the 
part of parents and closer codperation be- 
tween parents and school throughout the 
school career of the child. 

In addition to the foregoing and probably 
next to it in importance, is the problem of the 
sexes. Instead of eugenics, as at present 
having no place in the curriculum of the 
public school systems, without doubt in the 
near future it will be deemed one of the 
most important branches of study for later 
adolescent pupils. Through it information 
relative to the proper mating of the sexes, 
most vital to the welfare of society, will com- 
mand serious attention. With the proper 
emphasis and instruction given by the schools 
on eugenics will result a better stock of the 
human species. General knowledge of that 
subject and crystallized sentiment will ma- 
terially reduce the number of morons and 
imbeciles. In the future as much care will be 
exercised in the propagation of the human 
animal as is employed in the breeding of 


276 THE NEWER D.iSPENSATION 


domestic beasts. A pedigreed ancestry and 
a certificate of registration certifying the 
genealogy of mankind ought to be as un- 
portant as one for sheep or swine. 

The study of ethics as a branch throughout 
the school life of the child and thorough courses 
in eugenics for later adolescent pupils for a 
generation, will contribute greatly to the re- 
duction of crime and the propagation of the 
unfit. In addition to which, divorce without 
doubt would be reduced to almost a minimum 
and the family unit become stabilized. 

Not only can it be predicted with a tolerable 
degree of certainty that great changes and 
improvements will be made in the curriculum 
of the schools of the future, but in the content 
of the subject-matter or studies as well. 
specially will that be so regarding history. 
Instead of the histories of the future being 
biased by partiality to the home country and 
prejudiced against a competitor nation or one 
with which unfriendly relationships have been 
experienced, the true facts will be given. 
Moreover, instead of the histories of the future 
devoting by far the larger part of their space 
to war, thereby leading the youth to believe 
that war is a virtue and something to be per- 
petuated, it will be allotted a minimum space 
and facts of a constructive nature pertaining 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 277 


to peace-time pursuits and achievements will 
occupy the major portion of space in such 
works. The histories of the future will teach 
militarism is a destructive institution and a 
relic of barbarism rather than a _ civilizing 
agency. ‘The historians of the future will not 
exalt the soldier and hold him up before the 
eyes of the young as an ideal to emulate, but 
will fill their pages with the names and ac- 
counts of persons and events of a constructive 
nature. 

Nor will modification of educational methods 
and organization be confined to the elementary 
school systems alone. ‘The colleges and uni- 
versities likewise will come in for a share of 
adjustment. Instead of students being denied 
admission to the higher institutions of learn- 
ing, or if admitted, being discharged later be- 
cause of inability to maintain fixed standards 
of scholarship,. provision will be made for 
every shade of normal ability represented by 
the student body. Indolence and lawlessness 
ought to constitute the chief grounds for the 
discharge of any student. Since the average 
high school graduate probably ranks in 
scholastic attainments far below the standards 
required at present by most colleges and 
universities, the greatest good to the greatest 
number would be subserved by making provi- 


278 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


sion for that constituency. It is a good deal 
better from the standpoint of society to have 
the general average of intelligence raised, 
than to have a minority of its citizens highly 
educated. 

Moreover, the higher institutions of learning 
of the future without doubt will devote more 
time and effort to teaching students to think, 
than to search for precedents on what has 
already been thought. It is well enough to 
be familiar with the different varieties of 
thought on any subject, but after such has 
been acquired, original opinion on the part of 
the student is more valuable to him and 
society than the ability to collate authorities. 

Furthermore, higher education in the future 
will not be regarded by educators as an end 
in itself (although few at present probably 
vould admit they so regard it), but look upon 
it as a means to an end. Educators will 
come to recognize the fact that the social 
structures of society are largely the product of 
the educational systems. The condition of the 
social structures furnishes a fairly accurate 
means by which to gage the educational sys- 
tem of any country. 

As in the elementary schools, so in the 
higher institutions of learning, militarism will 
have no place. ‘The inconsistency of a con- 


THE NEWER DISPENSATION 279 


structive institution lending aid to a destruc- 
tive one will be recognized. The function of 
a civilizing agency ought not to be devoted to 
perpetuating a barbaric product. 

‘The universality of education that will come 
in the civilized countries of the earth and 
especially in the United States of America and 
other republics will set a precedent for the 
entire world. The civilization of all races 
depends upon the practical and general educa- 
tion of the masses. Not necessarily education 
in accomplishments, but respecting those 
things upon which the foundations of society 
and civilization rest. Instead of superstition, 
ignorance, poverty, crime, discord, unhappi- 
ness and war being common, education will be 
the agent that will promote knowledge, thrifti- 
ness, order, harmony, happiness and peace in 
their stead. With such vast facilities for the 
dissemination ‘of knowledge as we already 
possess and others yet to be acquired, the 
universality of education will be hastened. 

Edueation is the implement that 1s prepar- 
ing the soil and making possible the establish- 
ment of the Newer Dispensation. The two go 
hand in hand. The basis of the spiritual is 
physical. It is possible to have low moral and 
ethical standards even with a high intellectual 
development, but it is impossible to have high 


280 THE NEWER DISPENSATION 


moral attainments and ethical ideals with low 
mental development. ‘‘By their fruits ye 
shall know them.’’ The standard of morality 
among savages 1s lower than that of bar- 
barians; that of barbarians lower than that of 
civilized societies. So it 1s with individuals, 
those of the highest mental attainments, taken 
on an average, observe higher moral customs 
than do those of less developed minds. 

The Newer Dispensation will be devoted 
most zealously to the freedom of man’s mind. 
It will seek to rend the clouds that obscure 
the political horizon of the individual citizen. 
It will strive most earnestly to brush away the 
cobwebs of theological mysticism from the 
eyes of the religious adherent, which so long 
have made of him a cringing slave at the feet 
of priest and potentate. And when the Newer 
Order shall have reached its zenith and the 
end of its cycle draws to a close, in the dawn- 
ing of a still Newer Day, men will look back 
upon the past and say: ‘‘The emancipation of 
man’s mind has been its greatest achieve- 
ment.”’ 


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